Love
by aznlove806
Summary: Amu and Ikuto were dating happily after they both graduated high school. They both seem to be madly in love with each other...that is, until a certain someone shows up, and starts to cause trouble. Will their relationship last? Or will they break up?
1. How they Met

**AN: This is one of first fanfics! Please read and review!**

**Summary: Amu and Ikuto were dating happily after they both graduated high school. They both seem to be madly in love with each other...that is, until a certain someone shows up, and starts to cause trouble. Will their relationship last? Or will they break up?**

**~Love~**

_Love comes, love goes_

_Will it stay, or make you pray?_

My eyes opened to the soft light of my window. Ahh, blissful sleep. 11:30am...Wait, 11:30am?! I'm late! My eyes shot open and I jumped out of bed. White t-shirt, where are you?! Ahh! Found you! I threw it on, along with a blue ruffly skirt I found on my desk chair. Man, this room is a mess. I should really clean up once in a while. I could see my clothes piling the ground, and papers all over my desk. My bed wasn't any better since it looked like an animal was sleeping in it, then suddenly jumped out.

Oh my god, where is my blue jacket? I flew around the room, throwing papers on the floor, and clothes into different piles until I finally found it. Surprisingly, it was in good condition, clean in fact. I shoved it on, and headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. After combing my hair, I ran back to my room to put some of my glistening, long, pink hair into a braid then used a pin to keep it against my hair. There! Perfect!

Thrusting my feet into my white flats with a blue bow on top, I grabbed my purse and headed out the door, yelling,"I'm going out!" to my mom. "Okay, be careful." she said.

Checking my watch, and seeing that it was noon, I ran even faster toward the water fountain, located in the park. I arrived ten minutes later, to see Ikuto already there. Once he saw me running towards him, he gave a smirk as I ran into his arms for a bear hug.

"Ikuto! Did you wait long?" I asked into his shirt.

"Humph, you kept me waiting for hours." I pulled away, and saw his smirk.

"And as your punishment, you must kiss me."

"Gladly."

We kissed in front of the fountain. It wasn't one of those deep and passionate ones, but more loving and tender. I could feel the sun shining brightly around me, the slight breeze making my skirt ruffle beautifully. Laughing rang out in the air from the children running around and playing.

"Ikuto..." I said into our kiss.

"People are watching." He pulled away.

"I don't care who's watching. Just trying to tell the world that you're mine." He whispered into my ear. I shivered at the sound of his voice. I looked around and saw that girls were glaring at me, and guys were glaring at Ikuto.

"Well, enough chit chat. Did you eat yet?" He asked me, seemingly oblivious to all the stares and glares. My growling stomach answered that question before I did. He laughed as I blushed, looking away.

"Cm'on, I'll buy you something." He took my hand and lead me to get some food.

_"Cm'on, I'll buy you some food." He lead the way to a takoyaki stand, and ordered two. After he paid, he gave me one and we both munched on them silently, enjoying the deliciousness of the small treat._

Deja vu right there. He just sounded so much like the Ikuto I knew before we started dating.

_Flashback~_

_After we finished eating, we went to the park together, and walked the pathway._

_"Watch out!"_

_I turned to find a person running towards me, after a police officer shouted the warning to us. Before I could react, the person, I assumed was a robber, ran into me shoving me to the floor. I felt the air punched out of my lungs as I met my back to the asphalt. The robber, still on top of me, quickly recovered from the fall and started to run again; right into Ikuto's punch in the stomach. He fell to the ground, struggling to get back up, but the officer reached him before he had a chance._

_"Amu! Are you alright?!" He asked, offering his hand._

_"I-I'm fine, it's just that my arm really hurts." I answered, rubbing my right arm. He helped me up, and I'm glad he did since I almost fell right over. I felt a little wobbly after the shove._

_"Can you walk?"_

_"O-of course I can!" I attempted to walk, but it looked like I was a drunk clutching her right arm from some accident. He sighed. But I could see a smirk forming on his lips._

_"Guess I have no choice." He smirked. He picked me up bridal style, as I yelped in protest._

_"Put me down!" I struggled to get out of his arms, all the while, making my blush deepen whenever people pass us. They looked at us either with a crazy look, or a loving one. Either way, I was not okay with it._

_"Nope. I'm taking you to the hospital to get that wrist looked at." I sighed and stopped fighting him. There's no point anyway. Might as well let him carry me until we get there. However, he seemed to be taking his sweet time since he walked slower. He's toying with me, I just know it. Thankfully, we reached a nearby hospital in about twenty minutes._

_We entered the automatic double doors and soon, I caught the eye of a young doctor. He ushered Ikuto and I to a room to look at my wrist._

_"What happened, young lady?"_

_"I was walking calmly, and a robber suddenly ran into me, and we crashed onto the ground. But he was on top of me." I explained._

_"Ahhh, I see. Well, there are no broken bones or anything, it's just sprained. It's nothing serious, but you have to wear a cast for several weeks for it to heal."_

_"Okay."_

_He bandaged up my arm carefully, explaining how to shower, and get dressed, and blah blah blah. After he was done, I was free to go, and Ikuto and I left the hospital. We started walking back to my house, since it was pretty late. _

_"Well, thanks for everything Ikuto." I said, before I headed for my front door._

_"Wait!" I turned around only to be pulled into his chest for a hug. I could feel my face getting hot from the closeness._

_"I-... Ikuto..." _

_"I was so worried today when that robber was running towards you." He said into my hair._

_"You were?" I asked, surprised._

_"...Yeah... I know we've known each other for a long time...but... I love you."_

**AN: So, what do you think? Review if you want the next chapter! **_  
_


	2. Here comes Tadase!

**AN: Thanks for the review fanficgirl85! I was really happy by the review, so I decided to update! Enjoy!**

**~Love~**

_Humpty, Dumpty sat on the wall,_

_and fell, fell, fell, _

_into the arms, of a blond_

_Recap:_

_"I was so worried today when that robber was running towards you." He said into my hair._

_"You were?" I asked, surprised._

_"...Yeah... I know we've known each other for a long time...but... I love you."_

_Ikuto POV_

_I kissed the girl of my dreams. And it's not one of those short, little kisses. It's one of those long, and passionate ones. I felt a weird feeling inside me as she began to kiss me back. That feeling just grew and grew, and it made me feel all warm and tingly inside. My heart was beating a thousand miles an hour, so I'm glad that she wasn't able to hear it._

_We pulled back to catch our breaths, but seconds later, I recaptured her lips with mine. And not only did she smell like strawberries, she tasted like strawberries as well. I don't know what I would do without this girl._

_"Mmm... Ikuto, I have to go home." She said, pulling away. _

_"Is that an excuse, Amu-koi?" I teased._

_"N-n-n-no! I-i really n-need to g-get home!" She stammered, her face blushing like a strawberry._

_"I got it, let's go." I held the hand that wasn't injured, and started to lead the way to her house. We didn't say anything on the walk home, all you could hear was the cars driving by, and our feet, every time they hit the pavement. We turned a corner, and Amu's house was in sight._

_"Ja ne, Amu." I said, and let go of her hand. She went up the steps of her house, and went inside._

_I turned around and began to walk back home._

_"I-Ikuto! Wait!" I turned around to find Amu running up to me. She stood on her tiptoes and gave me a peck on the cheek._

_"I love you too." She said with a blush. I smiled, not a smirk, but a real, genuine smile. I wrapped my arms around her waist, resting my chin on the top of her head. We just stood there, in each other's arms, for what seemed like eternity. _

_"Amu-chan! Are you going to come in yet?" We could hear footsteps coming towards the door, and I quickly let go of her. She smoothed out her clothes, getting out all the wrinkles from the hug out of them. Her mom appeared at the doorway and looked at us suspiciously. I was facing away from Amu pretending to be on my phone, while Amu faced away from me, picking at an imaginary stray piece of thread on her jacket._

_"Oh, hello Ikuto-kun. Would you like to stay for dinner?" She asked me kindly._

_"No thank you Ms. Hinamori, I need to be getting home now. Bye Amu." _

_"Bye Ikuto." _

_I gave her a look that said, "I'll text you." She nodded her understanding, and we both went our separate ways._

_End Flashback~_

_Amu POV_

"Amu? Hellloooo?! Anyone in there?" I blinked in surprise to see Ikuto waving his hand up and down in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, confused.

"Trying to get you back on Earth." He said, smirking.

"Are you two ready to order, or do you need more time?" A lady, I assume a waitress, asked.

"Um, a little more time please." I asked. She nodded, and walked away.

"What were you spacing out for?"

"I was just thinking about how we first started dating." I said, sheepishly.

"Oh?" He scooted his chair a little closer, until we sat right next to each other. He put his hand on mine, and threw his arm around my shoulders, hugging me close.

"Mou, Ikuto! I'm trying to order something!" I pouted. It was kinda hard to look at a menu when you hot, sexy boyfriend was trying to cuddle with you. Cross that. It was VERY hard. But I didn't hate one bit of it.

"You said you were thinking about how we first started dating. But I want you think about what we should do now that we _are_ dating." He whispered into my ear. I could feel his breath tickle my ear and I shivered.

"I-Ikuto..." I said, blushing.

"E-Everyone's watching." I said, trying to push him away. He only held me tighter.

"I don't care. I want to make it clear to everyone, that you're _mine_ and mine only." He tilted up my chin so I had to look at him. I looked at his mesmerizing azure eyes, my heart pounding faster and faster by the second. He leaned in, and kissed me. It was a passionate, sweet kiss, but I didn't care; I kissed him back.

"Watch where you're going!"

"AHH! Look out!" Our kiss was broken unintentionally when a I felt something trickling down my face and hair. I pulled away, and found that my clothes and hair was soaked with water, and a blond-haired waiter was on the floor, picking up the broken glass. Ikuto looked at me, confused for a second, then noticed that I was soaking wet, and handed me some napkins.

"I'm so sorry, miss!" The blond said.

"What did you do that for?! You just dumped all that water onto my girlfriend!" Ikuto shouted, enraged.

Everyone around us started looking at us, then looking at the waiter still cleaning up on the floor. Another waiter came to help him, bringing over a mop. Everyone in the little cafe was whispering about how clumsy that waiter is, and about Ikuto and I.

"I-It's okay. I'm just a little soaked. I'm going to go dry off in the bathroom." I said, patting Ikuto's arm before I got up to go to the bathroom.

"Okay." He said, sweetly.

"I-I'm sorry sir. That was an accident. I'll-" Was all I heard before the bathroom door closed. I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was soaking wet, as well as my outfit. This is not going to be fixable. I gathered up my shirt and wrung out all the water that was still in it. After I did the same with my jacket and skirt, I got some paper towels and wiped out as much water out of my hair as possible. I then used the hand dryer to dry my clothes and hair. I couldn't dry it all the way, but I did the best I could then left the bathroom.

I went back to our table, and saw Ikuto sitting in his chair, glaring at the blond waiter every time he was in his sight. I walked back over to him and sat down. Once I was seated, he turned to look at me, his eyes wide with concern.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, really wet and all, but I'm fine." I held my arms close to my body. It was really cold outside, but there's AC in here, and you know what happens when cold air is mixed with water that's on your skin.

"Are you cold?" He didn't even wait before he shrugged off his jacket and handed it to me.

"Thanks." I slipped it on, embracing the warmth, and the smell of his body that lingered on the jacket.

"A-Are you ready to order?" We looked up, and there was that blond waiter again. Ikuto scowled at him, and he pretended not to notice, which was impossible. Ikuto can be pretty intimidating at times.

"I-I'll take the Caesar salad, and Ikuto will have one has well."

"What? I'm not having salad." Ikuto looked at me, with a smirk.

"Oh yes you a-"

"Ikuto? You have a girlfriend?" the blond waiter interrupted.

"Do I know you?" Ikuto glared. He took of his hat and glasses, and rubbed his hair, making it look more normal since it was gelled back. I heard Ikuto gasp in surprise.

"Tadase? You work here?"

"Yeah, been working here for a couple of months. When did you get a girlfriend?"

"About a couple of years ago." He said, indifferently.

"You didn't tell me?!"

"I forgot."

"Umm... Ikuto, you know him?" I asked.

"He's Hotori Tadase: my high school friend."

"Pleasure to meet you." He held out his hand.

"Hinamori Amu. Pleasure to meet you as well." We shook hands.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that water incident. I'm such a klutz sometimes." He said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oh, it's okay. It happens. And as we were saying, two Caesar salads, and two lemon iced teas. That'll be all." He began to leave until Ikuto called him back.

"Wait! One salad is enough."

"B-"

"Okay. Be right up!" He smiled and turned to leave to the kitchen to place our order.

"Why'd you change the order?"

"I wanted to share with you." He said, smirking. The salad and iced lemon teas came out and the waitress left.

"Heck no. You didn't order anything, you don't get anything." I said, as I began to dig in.

"Mou, Amu-_koi_, share with me~ Please?" He gave me those cute puppy dog eyes and I couldn't resist.

I sighed," Fine~" I handed him a fork, and pushed the plate into the middle of us.

"No, feed me." He said, gesturing at the fork that I stabbed through my salad, that was in my hand.

"F-f-feed yourself!" I shouted, getting red again. And I thought that once we started dating I would stop blushing. But no, it only increased. However, I gave in eventually, and fed him the salad. He ate bite by bite, until all the salad was gone.

"That was delicious." He said, wiping his mouth on a napkin when he was finished. Although it sounded more like "That wash derishous."

"Thanks to feeding you, I was never able to eat much." I grumbled, rubbing my still growling stomach. Suddenly, a waitress appeared with an ice cream sundae. It was three scoops of ice cream (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla) drizzled with hot fudge, sprinkles, whipped cream, topped off with two bananas on the side of the mouth-watering dish.

"Here's the desert you ordered, sir." She placed it in front of us, and Ikuto just smirked.

"I figured you might still be hungry."

"Arigato, Ikuto!" I began to dig in, but was stopped by Ikuto.

"Uh-uh, I'm feeding you this time. Ahh!" The ice cream was coming towards my mouth, as I opened my mouth to protest. I ate the ice cream and it was heavenly. All those flavors together tasted amazing and it was the perfect combination of delectable.

"It tastes amazing!"

And that's how our date ended: with me being fed ice cream by Ikuto. I would've freaked out about the idea of me being fed, but when it's your boyfriend, it's actually kind of sweet. And yes, shockingly, I loved every minute of it.

_No One POV~ (honestly, I shouldn't need to say who, you should be able to figure it out ;))_

All I could do was watch Ikuto, and his girlfriend, Hinamori Amu, eating happily. When did Ikuto get such a hot girlfriend? I scoffed, while mopping up the floors. She won't be his for long.

"Just watch, Ikuto. She'll be mine before you can blink." I said softly. I put the broom back into its original spot, and went to clean up some tables that my customers recently left.

_It's a hoax, a hoax~_

_Don't fall for it!_

_Else, you'll end up~, in a choke..._

**AN: What did you think? R&R?**


	3. The Incident

**AN: I don't own ANY of the songs in this chapter~. Oh, forgot the disclaimer. This disclaimer goes for the other chapters before this one as well~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING except the ideas. Enjoy!**

**~Love~**

_Take, take, take you out!_

_He will go about,_

_to winning your heart_

_Will you depart,_

_your sweetheart?_

_Recap:"Just watch, Ikuto. She'll be mine before you can blink." I said softly. I put the broom back into its original spot, and went to clean up some tables that my customers recently left._

_Tadase POV~_

It's time. Today, is the day that I start to break their trust and love.

_Amu POV~_

"Ami! Be careful!" Ami was playing in the sandbox with some other toddlers, and their sandcastle is becoming pretty big. I hope it doesn't collapse on her. She didn't even seem to hear my concern, as she kept building it higher and higher. I sighed and looked at my watch. It's time to go anyway. 4:30pm is a little late for a six-year-old to me.

_"Hey, I just met you~_

_And this is crazy!_

_But here's my number~_

_So call me, maybe!"_

I love this song. I just stopped doing what I was doing and just listened.

_"Before you came in my life_

_I missed you so bad_

_I missed you so bad_

_I missed you so, so bad."_

That someone sounds a lot like how Ikuto appeared into my life... Wait... that's my phone! My eyes widened in surprise, and I began to search through my purse to find my phone.

_"And you should know that_

_So call me mayb-"_

"Moshi Moshi?" Thank God I answered just before it went to voice mail.

"Amu-chan? Can you please pick up some lettuce, carrots, and fruits for me at the market? I need them for dinner tonight. Oh, and bring Ami home while you're at it."

"Okay, we'll be back at about five."

"Arigato! You're a life saver."

"It's nothing. Bye." I hung up my phone and pressed the red button to end the call.

"Ami! Let's go!" I yelled, grabbing my stuff from the bench I was sitting at. Bidding farewell to her friends, Ami ran over to me as we got ready to go to the market.

"So, did you have fun today?" I asked her, grabbing her petite hand and leading her down the street.

"Yep! Misa-chan and Tohru-chan and I built a gigantic sand castle!" She beamed. Her eyes seemed to sparkle, and I couldn't help but smile as well. She was just so lovable. Suddenly, I ran into the person in front of me, and I fell on the floor on my bottom. Whoever that person was, grabbed Ami and began to run away.

"Onee-chan! Help!"

"Ami!"

I chased after the kidnapper, who had thrown Ami onto his shoulder, and started to sprint away from me. Ami was holding a hand out to me, as if trying to reach me as I held out my hand as well. _I'm not gonna make it. He's way too fast_; was all I could think as I ran away him. _Someone. Anyone. Help me!_

"Stop!" I looked up, and found a blond man running towards the kidnapper, and kicked him hard in the side. Ami went flying, but he caught her just before she hit the floor. He handed her to me, and began to beat the crap out of the kidnapper. I called the cops, and they came five minutes later.

"Ami... I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have let go of your hand!" I sobbed, holding onto my little sister so tight that she could barely breath.

"O-Onee-chan! I-I was so scared!" She sobbed into my shoulder. My shirt may get wet from her tears but I didn't care. I'm just so glad that she's still with me. I don't know what I would do without her. I picked her up, and held her, soothing her with coos and sweet hushing sounds. I walked up to the blond man who saved my little sister. He was talking to the officers, no doubt about what had just happened.

"Umm... Thanks for saving my little sister." I said. He turned around, and I gasped.

"T-Tadase-kun?"

"Amu-chan?"

"Wow, I didn't know that was you. Anyway, thanks so much. I don't know what I would've done if you weren't there to help us."

"No problem. I'm just sorry about spilling all that water on you the other day." He replied, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"_What?_ You're still thinking about that? I think that's nothing compared to you saving my sister's life."

"T-Thanks. It was nothing." He said, blushing as he looked away. Aww, how cute. Wait, WHAT?

"A-Anyway, I got to go to the market to get some things for my mom. Come with?"

"Sure, I'd love to."

We walked off to the market together, just talking about random things, like how he and Ikuto met, where he lived, his favorite foods, and so on. Somewhere en route to the market, Ami stopped crying and we were able to coax her to walk with us. When we arrived at the market, I went to go pick out fresh fruits and vegetables, just like my mom asked. Ami was playing with Tadase, as I payed for the groceries.

"Onee-chan, I want candy!" She pointed at a giant lollipop. It was one of those colorful swirly lollipops, where the colors went around and around until they were in the middle of the circle.

"I don't know..."

"Pwease?" She gave me those big, puppy dog eyes.

"A-... Alright." I picked up a lollipop, and handed it to the cashier. I gotta stop falling for those eyes.

"That'll be $11.50, please." I paid her in cash, and took two bags in one hand, and held Ami's hand in the other. But there were still two bags left...

"I got it." Tadase picked up the last two bags, and led the way outside. We started walking to my house, since it was getting a little dark. Okay, maybe not a little, more like the sun already set, dark. Ami was chatting all the way home, while I just nodded, and said, "Ah huh." or "Yeah." Just like when you're so tired you can't even listen to someone that you just nod and agree but you don't actually know a thing that they were talking about.

We reached my house in about ten minutes, and I went up the front steps to open the door after ringing the doorbell. Before I could even put my key into the lock, the door flew open, with my mom standing there, looking pissed, angry, and relieved.

"Where have you two been?! It's late, and you were supposed to be back hours ago!" She shouted. That was, until she noticed Tadase standing there as well.

"Oh, is this your friend, Amu-chan? Gomen. I was just worried on where Amu and Ami were." She apologized.

"That's okay, Ms. Hinamori. I was just helping Amu-chan carry the groceries home."

"Uhh, yeah." I agreed.

"Well, would you like to stay for dinner, Tadase-kun?"

"I would love to." He replied with a warm smile. Adorable... Wait, WHAT?

We entered the house and set the groceries on the table. I did not just think that... did I? I let Ami run off and play in the living room while I told my parents on why Ami and I were late today. They gasped, and asked if we were okay, what happened, and etc. I explained it all in as much as I possibly could, and Tadase explained his point of view, and part in the incident. In the end, they thanked Tadase for being there and we all agreed to keep this a secret, and move on.

"Dinner is ready, Ami!" My mother called. Ami ran into the dining room, and sat in her chair. Dinner was business as usual, Ami singing songs into her pretend microphone, and my father taking pictures of her. Tadase gave me a, does this happen everyday? look. I sighed, and nodded, chuckling to myself on the inside. We're a weird family. Dinner seemed to drag on as Ami asked for any song requests and my parents happened to give her a bunch of songs.

"Uhh, mom, I think Ami should eat..."

"Oh! Right! Ami-chan, you can sing later, but now we should eat." My mom encouraged. Ami agreed and put down her microphone. We finished eating dinner, and I offered to do the dishes.

"I'll help you." Tadase said. I blushed, and let him. Why am I blushing so much? It's not like he's Ikuto or anything...

"No no, I'll do it." My mom said.

"Okay then."

"Oh, Tadase-kun, I think you should stay for the night. It's very dangerous to go out this late at night. You can phone your parents with our home phone, and sleep in Amu's room." My mom said.

"NO! My little sparrow and a _boy_ can't be in the same room alone!" My father yelled.

"Dad... We won't do anything. And besides, you know I already have a boyfriend. You're still not over that?" I asked, annoyed.

"Of course not! You will always be Daddy's little sparrow!"

"Cm'on Tadase-kun, I'll show you my room." I said, and led Tadase away from a paranoid father. We walked up the stairs, and went into my room. The pink walls were complimented by my mahogany brown desk, walk-in closet, and bed which had a white bedspread. The balcony doors were closed for the moment, but because of the curtains, some of the dark night peeped out at us. The walls were covered with posters and awards from when I was little.

"Wow, nice room Amu-chan. Can I call you that?"

"Sure. And thanks, but I don't do much decorating." I said, as I flopped onto my bed with a sigh. Today has been such a long day. All I want to do is sleep it away as if it didn't happen...

"Oh! Sorry, I'm being rude, I'll get you a sleeping bag." I got up and went to my closet, pulling out a large dark blue sleeping bag and handing it to Tadase. He thanked me as he took it from my hands and unrolled it, spreading it out on the carpeted floors.

"You can use the bathroom first. I'll just go in the other one." I said, picking up a towel and some pajamas to change into. I handed him an extra towel, and we each went to our separate bathrooms. I showered with my bubbly bath gel and once I was out, I was steaming. Man, I love hot showers to wash away all the stress of everyday life. I got out of the shower and wiped myself down with a towel. After that was done, I slipped on my blue and pink pajamas that had little moons on them, and walked back to my room.

Tadase was already done showering, and was wearing my dad's old white tee-shirt and plaid green and red pajamas to sleep in. He had a towel around his neck, using it get the water out of his hair. He looks really... prince like. His long blond hair looked amazing and perfected complimented his ruby eyes. I shook my head. Stop staring!

"Was the shower okay?" I asked, sounding like a host, which I was.

"It was perfect. Thanks for letting me stay the night. I didn't want anything to happen on my way back to my car that's still parked in the park." He replies, smiling.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to have you stay over at someone else's house when you barely know them."

"It's okay. And besides, I think we'll be really great friends."

"Yeah... I think you're right." I said, looking away, trying unsuccessfully to hide my small blush.

"You two should get to bed." My mom said, peeping her head through my slightly ajar door.

"Okay." I get ready to go to bed, shutting down my phone, putting it in the charger, while Tadase unzips his sleeping bag, and crawls in.

"Night, Tadase-kun."

"Goodnight Amu-chan."

We were out like a candle in a snowstorm.

_Timeskip to the Morning~_

I awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs, and opened my eyes. The sunshine flowed through the room, from the double glass doors of my balcony. I threw off my covers, and went to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth with some mint toothpaste, and washed my face with cold water. I combed back my waist-length pink hair and exited the bathroom to go back to my room to change. Once I returned to my room, Tadase was already waking up.

"Morning Tadase! Hurry and get up! There are bacon and eggs!" I took some clothes to change into and ran back into the bathroom. I changed into a tee-shirt and jeans and threw my pajamas in the hamper. I then ran downstairs to be greeted by my mom and breakfast.

"Ah... That smells good..." I said, sighing at the delicious smell.

"Then hurry up and eat it while it's hot!" My mom said, giggling at my childish attitude. I was still at the middle of the stairs as I began my descent. But I accidentally missed a step when running down, and I began to fall. My mom saw, and began rushing to me, but I knew she wasn't going to make it. I closed my eyes, bracing for impact: but instead, I was met with a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist trying to stop my fall. Tadase.

But, unfortunately, the momentum of my fall was stronger than he was, and we toppled down the stairs together. We ended up at the bottom of the steps, me under him. His legs were one on both sides of my legs, his two arms on either sides of my head, his lips inches from mine. I felt his breath on my face as he opened his eyes to see the results of his 'save'. Basically, he was on top of me, arms and legs on the outside of my body. We both looked at each other's eyes, me staring at ruby ones, as he gazed at my honey ones.

"DING, DONGGGGG..."

"I'll get that!" My father shouted. He seemed oblivious to the fact that a boy was on top of me, as he walked to the front door and opened it. And apparently, the front door _had_ to be _right_ in front of the stairs. The door swung open to reveal, Ikuto. Yeah. My boyfriend.

_It's the classic:_

_Get the girl to love your swirl_

_But what'll happen _

_to the guy? Will he _

_fly, fly, fly?_

**I'm really enjoying this story. It's fun to write ^.^ Oh, and if you want updates often, tell me. Like, how often you want it and if you want short or long chapters. Oh, and if you like stories where Amu is involved with Easter you should read my other story " No Matter What I'll Save You." **

**Oh, and thank you those who did review. It really makes me happy. And I'm going to take a break and probably update around next week... I updated too often this week and need to plan for the next chapters. So that makes you guys lucky since I wasn't even going to update today.**

**So? What did you think? Read and review~**


	4. Roller Coasters, Happiness, and a Kiss?

**AN: Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I also don't own any songs that may pop up in this chapter.**

_Recap:_

_Basically, he was on top of me, arms and legs on the outside of my body. We both looked at each other's eyes, me staring at ruby ones, as he gazed at my honey ones._

_"DING, DONGGGGG..."_

_"I'll get that!" My father shouted. He seemed oblivious to the fact that a boy was on top of me, as he walked to the front door and opened it. And apparently, the front door had to be right in front of the stairs. The door swung open to reveal, Ikuto. Yeah. My boyfriend._

**~Love~**

_You find out, but you understand:_

_Maybe. But you'll make me experience firsthand_

_What love was never meant to be_

_Ikuto POV~_

I woke up early to go to Amu's house. I wanted to surprise her with the date I planned for her today. We were going to go to the amusement park, then go to the park at night since there was a lantern festival that I really wanted her to see. After that, we sneak away so she can hear me play the violin. Another reason why I had brought my violin with me. Arriving at her house, I rang the doorbell.

"I'll get that!" I heard someone yell. The door opened to reveal her father. But all my eyes saw was Tadase on top of Amu. _My_ Amu. My eyes opened wide with shock and disgust. I walked over to the stairs, standing over them, fuming.

"Get off my girlfriend, you asshole." I said in a low voice which was much more scary than if I were yelling. Tadase slowly got up, and backed away from Amu. I helped her up, then held her close.

"I-Ikuto. He was trying to help me." I looked down at Amu, with a look of utter disbelief. Then, I dragged her upstairs and into her room, hearing her protests to let go. Ignoring them, we passed Amu's family, and Tadase who were still recovering from that 'fall.' I gave Tadase a glare as I passed him. Tadase, you won't steal Amu from me. Not in a million years. Entering her room, I closed it with a bam! and turned towards Amu, awaiting an explanation to this 'fall.'

"I tripped on the stairs and Tadase tried to save me, but he couldn't so we both fell down on the stairs. So it was an accident that he landed on me..." Amu said, twiddling her thumbs. I raised one eyebrow, not believing her fully.

"That's the truth, Ikuto! I'm dating _you_, why would I go for another guy?"

"Then why was he here in the first place?"

"Well... he saved Ami yesterday from an attempted kidnap and helped me to buy the groceries. By the time we finished eating dinner it was already really late so my mom suggested that Tadase stay for the night."

We were silent for a while, as I tried to let this all sink in. Well, her story does sound true, I know Amu would never cheat on me. However, the part where she said that Tadase saved Ami doesn't sound right. Tadase wasn't the type to help others, unless it benefited him... That couldn't mean that he... No, even he's not that cold hearted...

"You believe me right?" Amu asked, looking up at me. I sighed.

"Yeah, I believe you. But just hear me out. You don't know Tadase like I do. He's not who you think he is. Don't fall for any of his tricks, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good." I pulled her into a hug, probably stopping her ability to breath for a few seconds.

"I-Ikuto... I... can't... breathe..." Amu gasped out. I loosened my grip just slightly as I continued to embrace her.

"Sorry. I was just glad that you're okay."

"... Okay? Why wouldn't I be?" She pulled back, confusion in her eyes. Oh Amu. Ever the oblivious one.

"Forget about it. Right now, you need to get dressed. I have something fun planned for today, so we better leave right after breakfast."

_Amu POV~_

"Where are we going today?" I asked, suddenly getting excited.

"It's a surprise. Wear something cute. Or you could go like that. That's fine too." He said, gesturing to my stained tee-shirt and ripped jeans. I nodded, and he left the room to let me change. Cute, cute. What would he find cute? I looked into my drawers and closet, thinking about what would be a good thing to wear. Sandals? No, I don't want to have dead feet the next day. And besides, I have a feeling that we'll be walking a lot. After 20 minutes of staring into space, wondering about what to wear, Ikuto knocked on my door.

"Yo! You done yet?"

"No, I haven't decided what to wear yet!"

"Seriously? Let me guess, you've just been staring out into space for the past 20 minutes haven't you?"

"...Yes..." I admitted, guiltily.

I heard him sigh from behind my door.

"If you're not out in 5 minutes, I'll come in there and choose something myself, and you'll _have_ to wear what I choose."

That got me going like a bullet, that just flew out of the gun. You know what, who cares what I wear, I'm just going to throw on whatever. I ran to my closet and picked out some jean shorts and a flowery pink top, with ruffles and sequins on it. I let my hair down and combed my fingers through it, getting all the tangles out and having it flow smoothly through my fingers whenever I combed it with my fingers. I grabbed some x clips and clipped it to my hair. Grabbing some silver sandals, I quickly glossed my lips and retrieved my phone from the charger.

I then threw open the door to find a smirking Ikuto.

"You actually believed that I was going to do that?" I gaped at him, like he just said that he was an alien.

"Don't lie to me like that! I'm going to go change! I can't go to wherever you planned to go looking like this!" I exclaimed, gesturing at my outfit. Before I could leave, he grabbed my arm and pulled me close.

"No, don't. You look beautiful." He whispered into my ear. I blushed again, and he chuckled.

"Cm'on, let's go. We'll grab something to eat later." Taking my hand, he led me back downstairs.

"Mom, Dad, I'm going out!"

"Have fun, Amu!" My parents said.

"Wait, Amu! Where are you going?" Tadase asked, running after us. Closing the door behind him, he ran after us as Ikuto led me to his sleek, black motorcycle.

"_We're_ going on a date." Ikuto said icily, emphasizing the 'we're.' Ikuto turned on the motorcycle, and revved the engine, as it purred to warm up.

"Oh, well, have fun you two." Tadase said, and began to walk away.

"Tadase-kun! Thanks for yesterday." I called after him. He waved back, and I heard a, "No problem!" before he turned back around and walked away.

_Tadase POV_

Today will be the next step of my plan.

_Amu POV_

"Hang on tight!" Ikuto started the engine, and off we went wind.

The wind was blowing fast, making my ears ring, but I didn't care. All I could feel, was the cool air flowing through my hair, as I held onto Ikuto's waist tightly. The sun was shining brightly for such an early morning, but I didn't care. It really reflected my mood. Happiness. I'm really grateful that Ikuto's my boyfriend. He's always there for me and he cares about me. But why do I keep thinking about Tadase? _His princely smile, blond, wavy hair, and ruby eyes make him look amazing._ I shook my head. No! I don't love Tadase!

"Are you okay?" Ikuto shouted over the blowing wind. He must have felt me shake my head.

"I'm fine!" I shout back. And we stayed quiet for the whole ride to who knows where. Well, Ikuto knows, of course.

"Ikuto, are we there yet?" I shout to him, after half an hour.

"Yep! Look up ahead!" I looked to where he indicated and gasped. The amusement park. I can't believe he took me to the amusement park! It's the exact same park as the one we went to as little kids. We arrived at the front of the park, and Ikuto parked his motorcycle at an empty spot in the parking lot. I don't know how he managed to find one, since it seems like all the spaces are filled up with cars for families, and school buses for field trips.

"I can't believe you brought me to an amusement park, Ikuto!" We got off his motorcycle, and I threw myself onto him, throwing my arms around his neck in a bear hug.

"Woah, easy there!" He exclaimed. Laughing, I dragged him away and towards the rides.

First, we went to the biggest and scariest roller coaster, and Ikuto and I screamed at all the loops and drops as we held our hands up into the air. Then, we went on the other rides one by one, from biggest to smallest. I've always loved roller coasters. At around three in the afternoon, we ate hamburgers with french fries, as we discussed which rides we will ride next, on a map that one of the park's rangers gave us.

"We should go to that one!" I said, pointing at a water ride.

"No, no, we should go on _that_ one!" He said, pointing at the Drop Tower.**(Don't own.)**

"What? Heck no, I hate that one! You know I'm scared of heights."

"Please?" He said.

"Nope."

He gave me those eyes again, and this time I looked away.

"I'm not falling for those eyes again, Ikuto. They won't work anymore." I said, confident in my refusal skills. I heard shuffling but I didn't look at him, for fear that I would look straight into his eyes. Instead, I felt someone lick my cheek at some of the sauce that was on it. I screamed.

"Ikuto! Don't do that!"

"Hahahahahahhahahahahahaha!" I blushed a deep red and humphed. Throwing my trash into the trash can, I got up and walked away.

"O-Oi! Amu, wait up!" Ignoring him, I continued walking out of the restaurant. Leaving Ikuto behind, I went straight ahead, not caring where I went.

"Hey, cutie. You wanna hang out with us?" I turned around to find three guys behind me.

"N-No thanks." I mumbled, trying to get away from them.

"Oh cm'on! We don't bite..." A guy in a tee-shirt and khaki shorts said. He grabbed my arm, stopping my escape.

"Let go!" I shouted, attempting to yank my arm out of his grasp, but all attempt was futile.

"What's the matter?" The third guy said, with a smirk.

"She said to let her go." I looked up, and found Ikuto standing there.

"And you are?" The guy who grabbed my hand, said. Ikuto walked up to him, towering over him. Ikuto was taller by at least a head, and a lot more muscular.

"Her boyfriend." Ikuto said curtly.

"My bad man, she didn't say nothin' about having a boyfriend. Cm'on guys, let's roll." He let go of my arm, and the three guys walked away.

"Ikuto!" I cried, running up to him and wrapping my arms around him waist. He returned the embrace, running his hand soothingly down my back.

"I-I'm sorry I left you! I was just mad... " I whimpered.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm sorry for licking your cheek. And I'm glad I made it just in time. Did those guys do anything to you?"

"N-No."

We stood there for a while, in each others' arms.

"Well, no use standing around. Which ride do _you_ want to go on?" I ask Ikuto.

"Drop Tower?" He asked hesitantly.

"... Okay. But I choose next. And you can't refuse."

"Deal."

He took my hand and led me to the Drop Tower. We got on as soon as we got there since there wasn't much of a line and there were plenty of seats anyway. We began our ascent up, as soon our seat belts were buckled on. I am so going to regret this. I grabbed Ikuto's hand as soon as we reached the top of the tower._ I regret doing this already!_ I thought as we were dropped back down. I screamed as we went down, but then we abruptly stopped, only to go back up, then down again.

I swear, I think Ikuto is _laughing_ instead of screaming. Laughing. At. Me. Oh I am so going to get you for this, Ikuto. The tower did the up and down thing several times before actually going down for good. After the dropping stopped completely, I stepped out of the seat, feeling really wobbly and nauseous.

"Oh Amu-_koi_." Ikuto said, after laughing like there was no tomorrow. He clutched his stomach as his shoulders heaved up and down.

"Now it's my turn." I said, with an evil glint in my eyes. I dragged him away, and eventually we were right in front of the teacups. Ikuto's eyes widened in horror.

"No _way_ am _I_ getting in _that_." He said, pointing at the teacups as if it were diseased.

"A deal is a deal Ikuto." I replied, unable to contain my smirk. I dragged him to the manager of the teacups, and got in. Choosing a teacup that was laced with pink decorations, we got in and put on our seat belts.

The ride started and as soon as it did, we began to spin the circle that was in the middle of the cup so our teacup would spin faster and faster. I laughed at how Ikuto looked so big compared to the teacup, with his knees up to his chest as he tried to spin the it. He glared at me when he heard my laughter, and I swear, I thought I saw his cheeks get a little pink as he turned away. Unfortunately, the ride ended and we had to get out.

I exited the ride, laughing just as Ikuto had after the Drop Tower. Oh revenge is so sweet. We then saw an ice cream vendor.

"Amu, you want some ice cream?"

"Sure! Vanilla please!" He went to go get the ice cream while I waited for him. When he returned, he was carrying only one ice cream cone, and it was chocolate.

"...Umm, Ikuto? I asked for vanilla." I said, puzzled at why he only got one. And why he only got chocolate.

"We can share my chocolate one, Amu-_koi_." He said, giving me his infamous smirk.

"F-.. Fine." I took his cone and started to lick it. He grabbed the cone as well, and we ended up licking it at the same time on the opposite sides of the ice cream cone. We finished the ice cream that way, and Ikuto decided that it was time to go home. We headed for the parking lot to where his motorcycle was, got on it, and off to home we went.

I grabbed hold of his waist as he sped off to my house. I leaned my head onto his back as I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of his body. Today was a good day. Ice cream, rides, and sweet revenge with Ikuto. As I felt the motorcycle slow to a stop, I opened my eyes to find that we were at the park. The sun had set, and the cool night air was settling in. There was a slight breeze as the stars twinkled in the moonlight. The half moon's light was reflected off of our faces as Ikuto led me into the park.

"Ikuto, where are we going?"

Just then, we were at the river, where people had gathered to with lanterns. They slowly let them float up to the sky, as they each lit up the sky with its own light and design of the lantern. **_(AN:Yes, I took the idea from this anime, and the movie Tangled. I DO NOT own the idea, or the anime or the movie.)_**

The sky looked amazing. There were many little glowing dots of yellow/golden all over the midnight blue sky. They all clumped together as they drifted off. I watched in awe at the amazing scene before me, never having seen something so beautiful before.

"Amu." I turned around to see Ikuto holding out a lantern. He set it in between our hands as we slowly let it fly high into the sky like all the others. **_(AN: Again, I DO NOT own this idea.)_** I have never been happier in my life. Ikuto grabbed my hand, and I squeezed it tightly. He returned the pressure.

As we observed the sky, the lanterns became smaller and smaller as time passed by. The people who were here before us began to leave slowly, since the lanterns were becoming more and more difficult to spectate. Ikuto and I stayed till the very end, watching until the very last lantern disappeared from our sight, before heading back to his motorcycle.

"Hold on, Ikuto. I'm going to go use the restroom." I let go of his hand, and headed to the restrooms that were nearby. Thankfully, they were already lit, and I quickly went inside to use it. After washing my hands, I exited the bathroom, only to find Tadase gazing at the sky while standing near the bathrooms.

"Tadase? What are you doing here?" I asked, approaching him.

"Oh, hey, Amu-chan. I was just here for the lantern festival. How about you?"

"I was here with Ikuto for the lantern festival as well, I just had to use the bathroom. I got to get back to him or he'll get worried." I started to walk away until he grabbed my hand, stopping me.

"Hold on. May we talk first?" He looked at me with those ruby eyes of his that seemed to twinkle in the moonlight.

"S-sure."

We began to walk towards the hills and sat down on the grass.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked, putting up my knees so that my left cheek rested on it as I tilted my head to look at Tadase.

"Well, you said that you're dating Ikuto, right?"

"...Yeeeaaahhh... Why?" I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Well, I recently saw him with another girl." What?! No, he wouldn't even think about that!

"You're lying."

"Why would I lie to you Amu?" He asked, looking me right in the eye.

"Ikuto wouldn't cheat on me." I said, but my tone of voice betrayed my words.

"I'll show you. Follow me."

He got up and held out his hand. I took it, and he helped me up. I then followed him to wherever he was going. We were pretty much walking back to where Ikuto's motorcycle was parked. But as I rounded the corner of the pathway, I saw Ikuto kissing another girl, who was wearing 5 inch, red heels, khaki shorts that ended above her thigh, a red blouse that only covered half her body, showing her stomach, and had long, wavy, red hair.

And they were KISSING.

_What you see,_

_is not what you should believe_

**AN: Done! I was going to update earlier, but I really wanted this kind of cliffhanger so I pushed back the date when I update. So, instead of a fast update, it's a slower one, but a lot longer. Well, I might not update for a while since I have another story and school, but we'll see how this goes ^^**


	5. Utau and her Advice

**AN:I don't own anything. I don't own any songs that come up in this chapter either.**

**Oh, and I'm sorry I didn't do this earlier.**

**Thanks for those of you who reviewed! Like:**

_**fanficgirl85**_

_**asian-faith**_

_**xoKuroNoTenshixo**_

_**johnmajormrbluehippopotamus**_

**Thank you so much! This is dedicated to those who reviewed~**

_Recap: But as I rounded the corner of the pathway, I saw Ikuto kissing another girl, who was wearing 5 inch, red heels, khaki shorts that ended above her thigh, a red blouse that only covered half her body, showing her stomach, and had long, wavy, red hair._

_And they were KISSING._

**~Love~**

_Decpetion, perception, confession_

_Which oh which, will you choose?_

_Will you refuse,_

_to tell the truth?_

_Amu POV_

I ran away from there as fast as I can. All I could see was the park, looking mystified since it was completely dark, and full of looming shadows. All I saw was the trees blurring to and fro, as I realized that there were tears streaming down my cheeks. Hastily brushing my tears away with my left hand, I continued to run, all the while hearing someone yelling my name over and over again, telling me to stop. But instead, I ran even faster. However, I eventually got tired, and strangely enough, I was back at the spot Tadase and I were last at. I sank down into the grass, wrapped my arms around my knees, and began to sob my eyes out.

It was freezing outside, the temperature dropping ridiculously low in the evening. But I didn't care one bit. All I saw was the image of Ikuto kissing that girl over and over again, as it played in my head. He looked as if he was kissing back too. I suddenly heard footsteps running towards me, but didn't care as I continued to sulk. The footsteps stopped right beside me, and whoever it was, knelt right beside me.

"Amu... I'm sorry that he did this to you. I wanted to tell you what he was planning this morning, but he suddenly came to take you onto a date, and I couldn't just stop him." He said, soothing me.

"I-...I'm... sorry-sob- that I didn't-sob- listen to-sob- you!" I shouted, throwing myself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around my waist in return, rubbing his hand calmly down my back. Just like Ikuto does. I sobbed even louder.

Why does betrayal bite so deep? What did I ever do wrong? I know that it sounds incoherent, but I still love him. Why? Why do I still love him after such a deep betrayal? All this flowed through my head as I cried. I don't know how long I've been crying because it felt like an eternity.

_Ikuto POV_

"I'm going to go to the bathroom." Amu let go of my hand and went into the bathrooms nearby. I stood outside to wait for her, that is, until this girl with long curly reed hair, khaki shorts, and half of her stomach showing, came up to me.

"Hey. You look hot. Wanna hang out at my house?" She said, trying to act sexy and seductive.

"I have a girlfriend." I said curtly.

"I don't think she would mind if we had a little _fun_." She replied, tracing circles on my chest. Okay. Gross. He touch made me shiver, and not in the good way. But she felt it, and began to get closer to me, believing that I had a thing for her. I pushed her off of me.

"Sorry, not interested."

"Humph, fine." She said, walking away.

"I guess you don't want to see this!" She shouted, pulling out a couple of photos. She was about 50 feet away, but even in this kind of light and distance, I could clearly make out Amu's pink hair, and Tadase's face.

"Let me see that." I said, following her.

"Come and get it!" She yelled, turning around and running.

"Wait!" I chased after her. She runs remarkably fast in those 5 inch heels. We were getting farther and farther away from Amu. I then lost sight of her.

"Over here!" I turned toward the sound of her voice, and found nothing but a tree. I ran behind it, and found that no one was there.

"No, silly, here!" And that's how it went. She kept saying 'here!' and 'here!' at different places and eventually, I got tired of it.

"Enough of these games!" I shouted. She stepped out from behind a tree, and handed me the pictures.

"Geez, can't even take a joke." She said, slapping the pictures in my hand. I quickly began to flip through them, scanning them. There was one of Amu and Tadase carrying groceries together and smiling at each other. Another at the park, where Amu and Tadase were laughing. While the last one was of them together in Amu's room, giggling.

"Where did you get these?" I asked her suspiciously.

"Oh, I took them myself. I've been following them some time now." She shrugged, indifferently.

"Whhhhyyyy?" I said, even more suspicious. But before she said anything else, she grabbed my face, and kissed me. Her hands slowly went to my chest as she moved her other arm to my left arm, and pulled it on her waist. Stop kissing her! You're dating Amu! I pushed her off of me, and wiped my lips on my sleeve.

"What was that for?!" I fumed.

"You know you liked it. And you know that Amu has a thing for Tadase. Why not choose someone better?" She said, running her fingers down my arm. But again, I pushed her away.

"I'm not interested in anyone besides Amu." I walked away and back towards the restrooms, hoping Amu hasn't left yet. Lifting up my sleeve, I again, wiped my mouth on it, trying to get the taste of her off of them. When I arrived at the bathrooms, I noticed that Amu wasn't there.

"Amu?" I called inside the bathroom. But there was no reply. I began to search everywhere for Amu, calling her name as she went. Turning at the end of the path, I saw a clearing at the end of the park, as well as Amu. However, once I got closer, I noticed that she and Tadase were hugging. I don't know why, but I stayed in the shadows of the trees and watched them. After a while of them embracing, I couldn't take it anymore, so I walked back to my motorcycle and drove off.

How could she do this to me? I thought she loves me.

_The Next Morning~_

_Amu POV_

I woke up in my bed, in the same clothes that I wore yesterday.

"Ughh... my head hurts." I grumbled, getting out of bed and stretching. Last night's images flashed through my mind. I can't believe that Ikuto would do this to me. _Knock, knock!_ I turned towards my door as whoever knocked on it, slowly opened it.

"Amu-chan? Are you okay?" My mom asked, peeping her head through the crack of the door. I turned away so she wouldn't see my tears as they streamed down my face.

"I-I'm fine. I'll down in a bit. Can you close the door so I can change?" I asked, without letting my voice crack as much as I could. My mom's reply, was closing the door softly behind her as I heard her footsteps get softer and softer as she descended down the stairs.

I shrugged out of my shorts and top, and slipped on some old jeans and a tee-shirt. I pulled my hair up into a sloppy bun, and headed to my bathroom to freshen up. Looking at the mirror made me feel worse. There were bags under my eyes as well as my eyes being red and worn from all that crying. I quickly washed my face, and eventually, I erased most of the evidence. Then, I headed back into my room, and out onto my balcony.

Stepping outside, I held my arms against my chest, as I felt the breeze on my skin. I took a deep breath, and began to calm myself down. Maybe Ikuto didn't mean to do that. Maybe it wasn't him. Maybe he actually enjoyed it. Shaking my head, I headed downstairs and greeted my mom as she handed me a plate of eggs and bacon for breakfast. The silence was helpful as I ate, letting me think in peace. I know this is wrong, but I need to see Ikuto to talk this out.

After finishing my breakfast, I went upstairs and grabbed my jacket, phone, and wallet before running out the door saying," I'll be back in a little while," before shutting the door behind me. At first, I wanted to see Ikuto. But now, I'm wondering if that's really a good idea. So I pulled out my phone, and called one of my best friends, Utau.

"Utau? Are you busy today?" I asked.

"Oh! Hey Amu! And yeah, I have to go to the studio today."

"Ohhh..." I answered, crestfallen.

"But you're welcome to come and watch me if you'd like."

"I'd love to."

"Great! Drop by at around noon!"

"See ya there."

I hung up and looked at the time on my phone. It was only about ten in the morning. I pulled out some earplugs and began to walk. Not knowing where my feet would take me, I just put my ipod on shuffle and continued to walk until I ended up somewhere that my feet took me , one song really caught my attention.

_"I knew you were trouble when you walked in_

_So shame on me now_

_Flew me to places I'd never been_

_'Til you put me down, oh_

_I knew you were trouble when you walked in_

_So shame on me now_

_Flew me to places I'd never been_

_Now I'm lying on the cold hard ground_

_Oh, oh, trouble, trouble, trouble_

_Oh, oh, trouble, trouble, trouble"_

I guess he was trouble huh? Suddenly, I ran into a pole and fell down on my butt. Owww... I got up, rubbing the spot the pole hit, and kept walking. The people around me saw, and were laughing quietly to themselves. I would be too, if I wasn't depressed. Surprisingly, I was back at the scene of the crime: the park. Now, whenever I passed the places I went to yesterday, I remember everything as if it were crystal clear.

Over there is where Ikuto and that girl were making out. The indents in the grass were still present, standing out as evidence. Over there is where I ran to. Over there is where I cried my heart out when I was in Tadase's arms.

_"Hey I just met you_

_and this is crazy_

_but here's my number_

_so call me maybe!"_

"Hello?"

"Amu, where are you? It's already noon!"

"Oh! Sorry, I lost track of time!"

"Well hurry up and get over here!"

"On my way!" I hung up, and began to sprint to the studio. How could I have lost track of time so easily? Has it really been two hours?! Stopping at the red light, I used this time to catch my breath, before dashing across the road when the white person was shown on the walking thingy. (Yeah, I don't know what it's called xD)

Arriving at the studio, I ran through the open doors, and pressed the elevator button for the top floor. It seemed to be taking its sweet time, as it slowly came down to the lobby level. Maybe I should take the stairs. But no sane person would run up 50 flights of stairs! The elevator doors opened, and I went inside. Pressing the button for the 50th floor, I waited as it slowly went up. When the doors _finally_ opened, I ran out of the elevator, and right into Utau. She checked her phone, and glared at me.

"You're twenty minutes late!" She shouted. I shrank back from her shouting, holding my poor ears. She stood there, her arms crossed, awaiting an explanation.

"S-Sorry. I was at the park." I said, quietly. She just gave me a smile.

"It's okay, I understand. And besides, the park's pretty far from here. I'm surprised you even made it in twenty minutes." We both laughed, as Utau led me to a table with a view of the city.

"You hungry, Amu?" I nodded. She then called someone over, and spoke to him.

"Est-ce que, Peux-tu apporter ce fille ici, certains nourriture, sil vous plait?"

"Oui, Mademoiselle Hoshina." He walked away, as I looked at her in astonish.

"You speak French?"

"Well, I learned. I had to sing there, and I liked learning French." She replied.

"Anyway, what's on your mind? You usually don't call me to see if I have time to hang out."

"Uhh... Umm... I-Ikuto-"

"What about him?" She gasped.

"What did he do? Was he being an asshole?! 'Cuz if he was I'm gonna kill him!" She exploded. I shrank down into my chair, trying unsuccessfully, to become invisible. Utau can be so scary sometimes. She noticed that I was scared.

"I-I'm sorry."

"It's okay. And about Ikuto. He... He..." I broke down sobbing. Utau came over to my side, and gave me a hug.

"He... He cheated on me! He-sob- was kissing- sob- another girl- sob- right in front of me!" I choked out from in between my sobs.

"What?! He did! I'm going to kill that jerk!" Utau said, angrily. But she continued to sooth me, and attempt to call me down.

"It's okay, Amu. Everything will work out somehow. You just need to talk to Ikuto about this." I nodded, still trying to stop the flow of tears.

"And above everything else, you still have me. I'll always be here for you, Amu. That's what best friends are for, right?" I looked into her eyes, and nodded. My crying has ceased until all that was left, was an occasional sniffle. The waiter came back with two plates of spaghetti.

"Now let's eat!" Utau said, digging in. I followed suit as we enjoyed our lunch together.

_Utau POV_

After we finished eating, Amu told me everything that had happened yesterday. I just sat quietly and listened, until she was finished with her story. When she finished, I put my hand to my chin, deep in thought. This doesn't sound like the Ikuto I know. He wouldn't do this to the girl he loves. There has to be another factor to this mystery. One that Amu is missing.

"What was the name of the guy that told you about Ikuto?"

"T-Tadase."

My eyes widened in shock. I understand it now. He's trying to break them apart! I've known Tadase for as long as Ikuto has. And he's a player. Always was, always will be. I've him in the act before too. And I gotta say, he is an extremely good liar. He finds some way to get the girls' attention, then saves them from trouble that he causes. But apparently, he always targets the girls that Ikuto is dating. He's tried to win me over too, but I was able to see through his act.

And besides, Ikuto and I are the only ones who found out about his game, and even Tadase doesn't know that we did. I should warn Amu. But I should do it when the time is right. If I do it now. then it'll sound like I'm siding with Ikuto. I should tell her once Ikuto and Amu make up.

"I think you should talk to Ikuto, no matter what he did. You need to hear his side of the story if you want to keep your relationship with him." Amu nodded.

"That's a good idea. Can you call him, and tell him to meet me at my house, at around 3?" Amu asked.

"Sure."

"Well, I gotta get going. My mom's going to get worried. Thanks for everything Utau." Amu said, as she stood up. I stood up as well, and walked over to give her a goodbye hug.

"No problem." I said, after I hugged her. She waved goodbye as she walked to the elevator, and got on it. I waved too, just until the elevator doors closed. I then pulled out my phone, and search Ikuto's number on my contacts list. I was about to press the call button, when my phone began to vibrate. Ikuto. What good timing. I pressed the answer button.

"Ikuto, perfect timing, I was just about to call you."

"Utau, can we talk?"

"Is this about that kiss you had with some girl? And something more to do with Tadase and Amu?"

"What the- How'd you know?"

"I just had a talk with Amu."

"Ohhh..."

"Anyway, come to my studio if you want to talk."

"I'm already here." I turned around, and saw Ikuto, standing behind me, with his phone still held to his ear. He ended the call, as did I. How the hell did he not run into Amu on the way here?

"How the hell did you not run into Amu on the way here?" I asked, voicing my thoughts.

"Wait... Which elevator did you take?" I asked, suspiciously.

"The left one."

"No wonder. Amu took the right one." I muttered incoherently.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Anyway, about last night..." Ikuto began.

"Spill it big brother. I need to hear your side of the story." I said, walking over the a couch and patted the spot next to me, as I sat down.

_Saaya POV_

I stood outside of Tokyo Studios, waiting for Amu to come out. Oh my God, how long does this girl take?! And why she is in this fancy place anyway?! I need to go to the mall with some girlfriends for my manicure and she's going to make me late!

Just then, the door opened, and Amu stepped out. I hid behind the wall I was on, and watched her walk away. Using my binoculars, I aimed them at her phone.

_Ikuto at my House 3pm._

_Would you like to save this note?_

_ Yes No_

Bingo. I walked the other direction, and began to call Tadase.

"Yo, Tadase, Hinamori is heading to her house, and is meeting Ikuto there at 3pm." I said.

"Okay, thanks for the info."

"And just to let you know, text me the plan before you go through with it, or this deal is off." I snarled. I was getting sick and tired of being ordered around with no clue on what I'm supposed do.

"But just so you know, if the deal is off, I'm turning you in."

"To who?" I said, laughing.

"The police. Who else would want a wanted thief?" I could hear his smirk over the phone. I hung up.

"Oh we'll see who the police wants the most. We'll see what they will do once they find out all your crimes."

_People who commit crimes, will eventually meet their own demise,_

_That many people would like to call karma_

_But will justice prevail,_

_Against the mafia?_

**AN: So, what did you think? And I was going to make this longer, but I figured I might as well save some of my ideas for the next chapter so I don't get writer's block. Anyway, read and review please!**


	6. Goodbye

**AN:I don't own anything, except my ideas and I'm tired of repeating it, so this goes for all chapters of this story.**

_Recap:"Oh we'll see who the police wants the most. We'll see what they will do once they find out all your crimes."_

**~Love~**

_He's there when you're not_

_You kissed her, when you should've kissed me_

_And now you want me back,_

_after all that crap?_

_Tadase POV_

After receiving the call from Saaya, I headed towards my car that was parked on the street. I hopped in, started it up, and began the short drive to Amu's house. The clock just turned 2:45 as I joined in with the rest of the cars at the red light. With just about fifteen minutes left, there's no way I won't see Amu on my way to her house before Ikuto does. Turning on the radio, I flipped from channel to channel, until I heard a song that I liked.

_"I'm only gonna break break your break break your heart_

_I'm only gonna break break your break break your heart_

_I'm only gonna break break your break break your heart_

_I'm only gonna break break your break break your heart"_

It's one of my most favorite songs. I stared out the windows as I was driving, thinking about my past and seeing a flash of pink hair. Hey, that girl looks cute. Amu! I broke out of my trance, and immediately stepped on the brakes, screeching to stop right next to Amu.

_Amu POV_

I was walking down the street, ignoring everything that was happening around me. Of course, I avoided people because of what recently happened, by looking at the ground and watching everyone's feet move around me and directly at me. I dragged my feet with every step I walked, before I heard a loud and sudden screeching noise, as a car stopped right beside me. The window suddenly began to roll down, and noticed that it was Tadase by the blond hair and ruby red eyes.

"Tadase-kun..." I mumbled, keeping my eyes down.

"Hey Amu! Hop in!"

"T-thanks, but I'm almost at my house, I don't need a ride. Thanks anyway." I said, as I continued my walk home. There was a rock on the ground, and I kicked it, before hearing a voice.

"Saaya, I love you."

"I love you too, Ikuto." I froze in my tracks, like a deer caught in the middle of the road. I turned around to find Tadase holding up a recorder that was playing.

"No..." You could hear some small noises after they proclaimed their love for each other. I quickly put my hands over my ears, attempting to block out all the sounds that the recorder was making. No, no, no, no, no! It can't be Ikuto! It has to be another Ikuto! But I'm just lying to myself, trying to deny the inevitable. That is Ikuto's voice, and he is in love with another girl.

_Ikuto POV_

I walked down the streets, with my hands in my pockets of my jeans, the hood of my hoodie over my head as my bangs covered my eyes. How could I have kissed that girl? Why didn't I realize what Amu was feeling? My feet got dragged along on the sidewalk as I kept on walking. What if she doesn't forgive me?

_"Ikuto, you should just come clean and apologize. If Amu doesn't accept your apology, then that's her choice, and you have to acknowledge that. But I'm sure that won't happen because she really loves you, she's just confused right now because of Tadase."_

I hope you're right, Utau. I almost arrived at Amu's house, when I saw a flash of pink in the corner of my eye. Swiftly, I turned around to see what and where that came from. There was a car that was driving past me, and I swear, I saw pink hair in the back seat. Amu! I started to run towards the car, and I began to call her name over and over again, but she never turned around. No. The car was going faster and faster.

_Tadase POV_

I ushered Amu into my car, and began to drive in the opposite direction. Ikuto, Ikuto, Ikuto. When will you learn that you'll never be able to fall in love? Amu was quiet in the back seat, just looking out the window aimlessly, as we passed by cars, trees, and Ikuto. Wait, what?! I craned my head to the right, and just caught a glimpse of Ikuto walking the other direction. He began to turn around, probably because he saw Amu's pink hair. Oh, crap, better speed up. Maybe he didn't see us, just hopefully.

But there's no such thing. He began to run towards the car, shouting Amu's name. I looked back at Amu's reaction, and found that she was still staring out the window. I smirked. There's no way that Amu would want to talk to Ikuto. I faced the front and began to drive faster.

"Can you pull over?" Shocked, I looked back at Amu, and saw her staring at me with determination in her eyes.

"You want to talk to someone that cheated on you?"

"I need to hear his side of the story." I weighed the options. Should I? If I don't let her, then she'll suspect me. But if I do, then they'll get back together. But...

"Okay, if that's what you want." I quickly pulled over, and parked on the side of the street, turning on my emergency lights so I don't get a ticket. I looked back, and all I saw was a flash of blue before I was knocked down. I don't know how I ended up on the sidewalk floor, but I think it has something to do with the sharp pain on my left cheek. I lay on the asphalt, clutching my cheek with my left hand, and glaring up at the blue haired teenager that just punched me. He was about to continue his assault, until a petite voice stopped him.

"Ikuto! Leave Tadase-kun alone!" She clambered out of the car, and came to my side with a small white handkerchief. She carefully dabbed at my bruise that throbbed with every single touch, but I loved how it enraged Ikuto. When he saw my smirk, (Amu didn't see) he yanked her arm away from my face and pulled her close to him.

"Let go of me!"

"He's just trying to brainwash you!"

"No he's not! He was helping me when you suddenly came up to him and attacked him!"

"I was protecting you!"

"From _what_, huh?!"

"From _him_! He's trying to break us apart by separating us!" When he said him, Ikuto jabbed a finger at my chest. By that time, I already recovered from the blow and was listening to the two of them arguing.

"You're just trying to put all the blame on him!"

"No, I'm not, I'm trying to protect you!" Amu's face got red from anger.

"You know, I think I should get protection from you! You say that you love me, that you want to protect me. So what kind of protection is it when my _own_ boyfriend goes out to kiss a whore?!" He looked speechless, and when he was about to speak, Amu held up a hand to stop him.

"I saw_ everything_ Ikuto! Don't try to lie to me and make this worse!"

"That kiss didn't mean anything! She kissed me! After we kissed, I pushed her away!" Ikuto defended.

"Really? Did you really?! Or did you just say I love you to her?!" Amu was screaming now, and there were tears streaming down her face. She pulled out the recorder I gave her and pressed play.

"Saaya, I love you."

"I love you too, Ikuto."

Amu watched as Ikuto listened to the recording of 'him' confessing his love to Tadase. Oh I sure am good at audio stripping, and the like. I just twisted around some words that he said, and made my own sentences. Then, I smoothed out the words so it sounds like something someone would actually say. (AN: Don't try this at home since I doubt this works cuz I saw it on tv xD)

Ikuto's eyes widened in surprise after he heard the recording.

"Amu... I didn't say that."

"There's no way I am going to believe you. First you cheated on me, and now you love another girl?" She whispered, as if the words were deadly.

"No. Amu it's all a game. I-"

"That's right Amu. It was a game. And Ikuto just admitted that he played you." I put in.

"No, I-"

"We're over."

"What?!"

"Do you need me to repeat that?! We're over!"

And then Amu ran past Ikuto, and didn't look back.

_Go away, leave me be_

_I never want to see_

_your face again_

**AN: I'm soooooo sorry I didn't update in so long. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. I was lazy, had writer's block, and had no inspiration to continue this story. But after I got encouraged, I began to write again! This update would've been sooner if fanfiction let me save, but instead, it got deleted for like the 2nd/3rd time. So I got pissed and stopped trying, but I pulled through to give you this short chapter. If you're one of the few people who still read and review this story, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You reviewers make updates possible!**

**Oh, and sorry for the crappy chapter. I know it sucks, again writer's block. But I thought it was pretty good at the ending, even though it was short. I just didn't know how to make the story move along. There could be many mistakes because I really wanted to update this for you guys, so I'm sorry. Anyway, read and review please!**


	7. I still love you

**AN: I'm back! Yes I know, it's been forever. Enjoy for now, and please read the AN at the end.**

_Recap:_

_"Do you need me to repeat that?! We're over!"_

_And then Amu ran past Ikuto, and didn't look back._

**~Love~**

_I love you, I love you_

_But maybe I bit off more than I could chew_

_I'm doing this for you_

_So after this, can we start anew?_

_Amu_

_"I looked to you as it fell, and now you're in my way." _

"Hello?"

"Amu-chan, it's me."

"Oh, hey Tadase-kun!"

"Want to go to the park with me?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" I asked. I may have sounded like I was smirking, but secretly, I was all giddy on the inside.

"Y-y-y-yes..."

"Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes."

"There's no need. Look out your window." I peeped out of the curtains of my balcony glass doors, and there was Tadase in his car.

I dashed downstairs, and out the door.

"Amu-chan, where are you going?"

"Park! Be back soon!" And a door slam was all I heard for a reply.

I ran up to Tadase's car, and hopped in the passenger seat.

"Hey Tadase-kun."

"Hey Amu-chan."

He greeted me with a quick hug, then we sped off towards the park.

"...I'm sorry about you and Ikuto." He said softly, once we were on the road.

"Stop apologizing, it's been a couple days already! He just wasn't the one for me." I answered, staring off into the distance.

_Flashback_

_"We're over!"_

_After those two small, but important words, I ran past him. I ran and ran and ran. I didn't even care where I ran to, so I somehow ended up at the park. The hills were all covered with grass, and there were gigantic trees looming overheard, providing shade for the people who choose to sit at the benches nearby. Right now, I am standing at the scene of the crime. Where everything started to go downhill. Why did this all have to happen? I thought Ikuto loved me... And even though I just broke up with him, I still love him._

_But I can't seem to tell what's real and what isn't anymore. Is Tadase really the cause of all this crap? Well, he did show up right before all these tragedies started. I fell to the ground, with my knees on the grass, and my palms gripping the grass into shreds._

_"I can't take anymore of this!" I shouted to myself. Thank god no one else is in the park right now. Or else they would've thought I was a crazy person._

_"Amu!"_

_"Go away!"_

_I felt arms encircle my shoulders as I tried to push whoever it was away from me. I heard a small 'oof' and then a thud as s/he was thrown to the ground._

_"That hurt you know..."_

_Strange...it's not a guy... I opened my eyes, and found Utau on the ground, rubbing a sore elbow._

_"You got one heck of a strength when you're emotional." Utau said, giving me a grim smile. She held out a hand, and I helped her up. Once she was up, she dusted the dirt and grass off of her blue jeans._

_"That's gonna leave a nasty stain." She said, glimpsing at the green smear on her thigh._

_"Sorry about that. I thought you were Ikuto." I said, laughing. But anyone could tell that that laugh was forced._

_"Amu, what happened?"_

_"..."_

_"What happened?! Goddammit Amu, I can't help you if you can't even tell me what happened!" Utau shouted in aggravation. She was literally pulling her hair out as I flinched back from her sudden outburst. She saw my flinch, and apologized. And then I couldn't take it anymore. I broke down crying in Utau's arms, as I spilled out everything that happened. I told about the walk to my house, meeting Tadase, then Ikuto punching Tadase, then all the yelling and screaming between me and Ikuto; basically, everything._

_All the while Utau just held me and listened, rubbing my back with her right hand soothingly. After I finished I asked her,"What should I do?"_

_"...I think you should listen to Ikuto's side of the story. And besides, I'm pretty sure you still love him."_

_"But, but, what about Tadase? And isn't it Ikuto's fault?" I blubbered. Utau sighed, and looked me straight in the eye. Her violet irises bore into my golden ones, making me flinch back for a second._

_"Amu. You need to know more about Tadase before you decide it's Ikuto's fault."_

_"W-what do you mean by 'learn more about Tadase'?" Was Ikuto right about him all along?_

_"Let's sit down at one of those benches first." We walked towards the closest one, and sat down._

_Utau took a deep breath before she began. _

_"Tadase, Ikuto, and I were childhood friends. We met when were around four or five. However, he may have seemed nice at first, he wasn't. Ikuto and I first became aware of it in middle school. Ikuto was dating this girl and it turns out, she was cheating on him with Tadase. He confronted Tadase about it, saying how she was his, and he could betray him like that. Tadase claimed that he didn't that he was dating Ikuto's girlfriend, so Ikuto cut him some slack, and let Tadase date her by breaking up with her."_

_"I never knew Ikuto would do that for him..." I replied, staring off into the distance._

_"Things were different when we were younger. Back then, Ikuto was really kind and nice to everyone, unlike the perverted Ikuto we know now." Utau chuckled lightly._

_"...Is it because of your parents?" I asked quietly._

_"That's one factor. But let me finish my story first." Utau said curtly, with a wave of her hand._

_"And after Tadase started dating that girl, he would always be watching Ikuto, and the girls he interacted with. It was like he was out to get him to something. And in the next couple of years, whenever Ikuto got a girlfriend, they always ended up dating Tadase. Soon enough, I got tired of watching Ikuto go through this endless cycle, so I began to follow Tadase around."_

_Tadase? Did he really do all of those horrible things? He's starting to sound more like what Ikuto said he was._

_"So eventually, I followed Tadase out on one of his dates with a girl that was dating Ikuto. I mean, you know me, I can't help being overprotective." Utau said with a smile. I nodded my head. _

_"If you weren't overprotective and hostile, I would think you had a fever." I laughed. Utau gave me a punch in the arm, pink tinting her cheeks. _

_"Shut it." _

_"Anyway, what did you find out?" _

_"Well..."_

_Utau_

_Flashback (Hah, a flashback in a flashback xD)_

_Tadase was walking with Tachibana hand in hand, talking about how she was soooo pretty, as she denied it while blushing. She's not even that pretty. _

_They then suddenly stopped walking, as Tadase dragged her into the nearby park. Suspicious. I followed suit, hopping my disguise consisting of a black hat, large sunglasses, and my blond hair without its pigtails, would work. I hopped from bush to bush, until I lost them._

_"Dammit, where did those two go?" I cursed under my breath. I saw a bird fly right past my face from the right and I ducked down just in time before I met the bird face to face. Literally. I turned to the right, and there they were, making out. He was all over her, as she kissed him back. Ugh, I'm disgusted just by looking at them. Then, Tadase's phone rang. He broke the kiss, and picked up his phone._

_"Moshi moshi?"_

_"Huh? Now? Can't we do this another time?" _

_"Ikuto? Okay, be right there." Ikuto? What about him? Be where?! _

_"Sorry, Tachibana, I gotta go." _

_"It's okay. I'll see you tomorrow." She gave him a quick goodbye kiss, and left. Tadase then looked right, and left, then headed in the opposite direction of his girlfriend. He left the park, crossed the street, and headed in the direction of the mall. Strange, is he meeting another girl? But if he is, what does this have to do with Ikuto? _

_Tadase entered the mall, and was en route to the food court, until I bumped into a guy carrying like twenty shopping bags that toppled onto me, blocking my view of Tadase. Half of them dropped on me, while the other half he managed to keep in his hands._

_"I'm sorry miss!" He then tripped on nothing, and dropped the rest of the bags on me. What an idiot!_

_"Gomen, gomenesai!" He said, bowing over and over again._

_"Stop bowing and help me up!" I shouted. Tadase's getting away! _

_It seemed like he was purposely taking his sweet time, by removing the bags off of me one by one. You've got to be kidding me. After about half the bags were removed, I began to throw the bags away from me, stood up, and ran in the direction that Tadase took. The man scrambled around, trying to recover the bags I tossed aside, all the while saying,"Gomenesai!" What a loser._

_I ran past boutiques, clothing stores, and an electronics store right before I reached the food court. My eyes scanned the crowd of people eating, looking for some blond hair. Where is he?! Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a blond male buying some food, and it looks like he isn't alone. But I can't see who he's with._

_I sprinted towards that direction, and sat right behind their table; yes, behind a potted plant. I craned my neck to let my ear get closer to them so I could hear their conversation._

_"Everything is going according to our plan Saaya. Eventually, you'll get what you want, I'll get what I want."_

_"Really? Ikuto will finally be mine?" _

_"Soon. But you already know that. Why did you call me out here? I still have a few more days before I have to dump Tachibana."_

_My eyes widened. What plan? Dump Tachibana? Why?_

_"Mou, Tadase-kun! How much longer do I have to wait?" The girl whined._

_"Patience. Remember? First, we let Ikuto get a girlfriend. Then you and I cause trouble for her so she'll fall for me. Then, we make fake recordings of Ikuto saying that he loves some other girl. But if we're lucky, then the girl would've fallen in love with me already, like this time. Then I date her for a couple weeks then dump her." _

_That. Bastard._

_"But what's the point of all this?" _

_"Once Ikuto gets tired of losing all the ones he loves to me, he won't trust anyone, then he'll be dispirited and distant. Then I'll claim the popularity that he stole from me so effortlessly. It always urked me how he was so easygoing and popular. He'll feel my pain soon enough. And once he does, you can go and capture his heart."_

_As Tadase was saying that, I saw him clench his fist in anger._

_"Ohh, I get it now." _

_"I told you this before, Saaya."_

_Oh. My. God. Tadase you asshole! How dare you do this to Ikuto! I'll show you what I can do._

_I flipped open my phone, and scrolled through my contacts, stopping at Tachibana. Popularity helps doesn't it?_

_"Hello?"_

_"Hey, Tachibana, it's Hoshina."_

_"Oh, hey Utau! What's up?" _

_"Can you meet me at the mall in the food court?"_

_"Uh, sure but why?"_

_"I need to show you something. Come asap." _

_"Sure, I'm in the area anyway. Be there in a minute." _

_I snapped my phone shut after the call ended. She should be here any minute now since her house isn't that far from here, and she just started walking home. Now, since I got the whole conversation recorded, there's not much left to do but wait. But wait for what? It's not like Tadase is going to reveal his plan to her. So what should I say to her that'll make her believe me?_

_"Ah! It's Tachibana. Saaya, hide!" Saaya quickly got out of her chair, and began to run to the plant right behind the table. Crap! She's gonna see me!_

_I quickly got up, and walked around the plant, to go 'buy' some food._

_"One milkshake please."_

_"Coming right up." The guy behind the counter said, as he disappeared into the kitchen to put in my order._

_"Utau-chan!" I turned around, and saw Tachibana coming towards me, waving her arm back and forth. I saw Tadase look at me in surprise, then look at her. Trapped much? _

_I smirked._

_"Tachibana-san! Would you like a milkshake as well?"_

_"No thanks. I'm not that hungry." She replied, as she walked up to me._

_"Here you go, miss. Enjoy!" The man said as he handed me my vanilla milkshake._

_"So why'd you call me out here?" _

_"Well, there's something that Tadase-kun has to tell you, don't you Tadase?" I said, walking up to his table._

_"Hehehe, what are you talking about?" Tadase said, drumming his fingers on the table in anticipation._

_"Oh you know what I'm talking about. How about you explain. If you don't I'll clearly say how you planned to dump her." _

_Tadase's eyes widened in horror at what I just said._

_"Oops, sorry. It slipped out." I said, covering my mouth in fake horror as I gasped. In reality, I was covering my smirk. Guess it runs in the family._

_"Tadase... she's joking right?" Tachibana said, her voice quivering._

_"Hahahaha, nice one Utau." Tadase said, but his laugh seemed so hollow._

_"You were planning on dumping me? So this was all just a game?!"_

_"No! Utau's lying to you!"_

_"You could prove I'm wrong if you kept dating her though... But I doubt you will." I sneered._

_"No, you know what, we're over Tadase! I should've stayed with Ikuto when I had the chance." And with that, she stalked away._

_"Don't be a player, Tadase_-kun_." I glared, before walking away myself. I texted Ikuto everything I heard them say, and their plans and he replied back saying how he suspected as much. He also thanked me for what I did for him._

_Flashback (in flashback) End_

_"Ohhh... " Was all Amu could say.  
_

_"Yeah... And after that, Ikuto soon met you. Even though I was against you two going out." I added._

_"Well, now I know why you tried to break us up." Amu grinned ruefully._

_"Yup, but I'm glad you two didn't. If you did, we wouldn't be best friends." I said, smiling at Amu._

_"Yeah." We then hugged because it has been a hard day for the both of us. After a decent amount of time, I pulled back and looked Amu in the eye._

_"What are you going to do about Tadase, now that you know the truth?"_

_"Honestly...I think I kind of fell for him. I guess I'll go out with him." My eyes widened with shock and anger._

_"But you just said you loved Ikuto! Why would you go out with him?!" _

_"...I want to find out what caused him to do all of this. And besides, I find him kind of cute." Amu said, blushing a little. I looked at her, dumbstruck, not knowing what to say. If you love someone, why would you go out with a different guy?_

_"I don't get why you're doing this. It's just going to hurt Ikuto more."_

_"I want Ikuto and Tadase to be friends again. I know that sounds silly and impossible, but I really think they should be friends. They just misunderstood each other all these years."_

_"Yeah you're right. That is impossible."_

_"Well, that's why I'm here right? To make the impossible possible!" Amu exclaimed exuberantly. I sighed. There's really no stopping this girl, huh?_

_"Fine. Do you want me to tell Ikuto?"_

_"No, it's okay. I want to tell him when the time is right." _

_End Flashback _

_Amu_

We arrived at the park, and Tadase parked on the sidewalk. He got out of the car, and then opened my door like a gentleman. I blushed slightly, as I got out of the car.

"Shall we?" He said, holding out his hand. I took it, and answered,"Sure."

We walked hand in hand around the park, admiring the scenery and watching the kids there laugh and shout vivaciously. We sat down at a bench, just enjoying each other's company. I then heard, an ice cream truck far away.

"I want some ice cream..." I muttered under my breath.

"I'll get us some, wait right here." Tadase said, getting up.

"N-no, it's okay."

"Be right back." He said, ignoring what I just said. He let go of my hand, and headed in the direction of the music of the ice cream truck.

After about ten minutes, I then closed my eyes, loving the feeling of the breeze on my face, before I felt a tap on my shoulder. Confused, I opened my eyes, only to be face to face with Tsukiyomi Ikuto.

"I-Ikut-" I barely began to say his name before he kissed me. He pulled me closer to him, his arms wrapping around my waist, as my arms found themselves around Ikuto's neck.

"Amu-chan?" I broke the kiss only to find Tadase standing right in front of us, one vanilla and one chocolate ice cream cone in each hand.

Crap.

_Sorry, the one I truly love_

_Is the azure headed pervert_

_But look above _

_all this mess_

_And you'll find your own princess_

**AN: I'm sorry for the late updates lately, but I haven't had much inspiration these days. So I'll try to update, but we'll see how it goes. And I have summer school, volunteering, and sports, and right now I'm like brain fried. T^T And for those of you reading my other story, No Matter What I'll Save You, that may be discontinued because I gots that writer's block. I had writer's block on this story as well, but surprisingly, I pulled through to give you a crappy chapter xD.**

**Hey, it may be crap, but at least I updated. Anyway, R&R?**


	8. Truth

_Recap:_

_After about ten minutes, I then closed my eyes, loving the feeling of the breeze on my face, before I felt a tap on my shoulder. Confused, I opened my eyes, only to be face to face with Tsukiyomi Ikuto._

_"I-Ikut-" I barely began to say his name before he kissed me. He pulled me closer to him, his arms wrapping around my waist, as my arms found themselves around Ikuto's neck._

_"Amu-chan?" I broke the kiss only to find Tadase standing right in front of us, one vanilla and one chocolate ice cream cone in each hand._

_Crap. _

**Love**

_Please, please don't go_

_I was wrong, stupid, ignorant_

_But I need you._

_Amu_

"T-Tadase-kun..." I stuttered out, reluctantly pushing Ikuto away from me.

"...Why are you doing this to me?" Tadase asked, an undecipherable expression on his face. It was full of sadness, regret, but most of all, anger.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ikuto draped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him.

"She still loves me. First time your little tricks didn't work huh?" Ikuto smirked, pulling me closer towards him.

"No... you're lying. She doesn't love you anymore! You cheated on her!" Tadase yelled.

"No, I didn't. You made her think that." My eyes widened.

"No! Amu! You believe me right?! You know that Ikuto cheated on you!" Tadase shouted, desperate.

"...I knew Ikuto wouldn't cheat on me. I already know that everything you did wasn't true. I've been known everything, Tadase." I said, looking up at him with a determined face.

"No... no, no, no, NO! Then why did you agree to go out with me?!" He demanded. Ikuto's eyes grew as big as saucers.

"You what?!"

"..." If I reveal my ulterior motive now, then he'll never answer my questions honestly. What should I do?

"Ikuto, I told you not to confront Amu until she confronts you. That was our deal for me telling you what happened." We all turned around to see Utau, standing there in all her glory.

I heard Ikuto deeply sigh.

"I couldn't wait that long, Utau. If Amu knows that I didn't cheat on her, I need to talk to her face to face to clear things up as soon as possible."

"Even if it meant breaking an agreement?" Utau said, glaring at him. Ikuto met her glare.

"Yes." He said, unwavering.

"Wait a minute. Utau, I told you not to tell him!" I shouted.

"...I... I had to tell him. He's my brother." Utau said, looking for sympathy. I gave her none. All I could think about was my ruined plan to make Ikuto and Tadase good friends.

"Also, he was suffering. I'm sure you wouldn't want someone you love to suffer right in front of your eyes."

"And anyway, it's all Kiddy King's fault. He caused all this to happen, so why did you agree to go out with him?!" Ikuto growled angrily, tightening his hold around me.

"Like I said, I know everything. And I really wanted you and Tadase to be on good terms again, because fighting and holding grudges aren't worth it." I said softly.

All eyes were on me as I said those words.

"Is that why you agreed to go out with me?" Tadase asked.

"Yeah. I wanted to help you."

"Well, there's nothing to help! Ikuto stole everything from me the moment we entered elementary school! He had better grades, popularity, and he could do everything effortlessly! He even had loving parents that helped and supported him! But me, I had to work hard at it, and everyone still bullied me unless I was with Ikuto!" Tadase's face was furious, and red.

"Is that why you stole every single girlfriend he had?"

"He deserved it! He should feel all the pain I've been through! And ten times more of it! Because of him, everyone was always following him, and I had no friends because of that!"

I never knew that Tadase felt that way. I never knew that someone could have such strong feelings of hatred towards another.

"I was nothing like that." Ikuto said quietly, with his bangs covering his eyes. His arm left my shoulder, as he turned away.

"I-Ikuto? Are you okay?" I asked, feeling his forehead to see if he had a fever. He gently pushed my hand away.

"Me popular? I was just being nice. Loving parents? They died you bastard. No one leads such a perfect life, so stop comparing yourself with me, or anyone else for that matter."

Tadase's eyes widened as if he had just been insulted.

"You-"

"Tadase, stop this, you're wrong this time." Utau interrupted.

"A-ano-"

"Me?! Wrong?!" My eyebrow twitched. Interrupted.

"Can I-"

"Yes, you're wrong. Have you ever even put yourself in Ikuto's shoes? How he felt like?!" I could feel flames beginning to emanate off of me.

There was a moment of silence, so I took that as an opportunity to speak. But before I could even say a word, I was interrupted _again_ but this time, by Ikuto.

"Do you know what it feels like to have your parents die then to get thrown to guardians who don't even care for you?!" Ikuto shouted.

"I-"

"You think you have it hard?!"

"Yes I-"

"SHUT UP!"

Everyone turned to look at me, surprised at my sudden outburst. I breathed in deeply.

"May I speak now? Thank you." I said sarcastically, not even waiting for their approval.

"We know you've had it hard Tadase but you've got to forget about the past! It's not worth mulling over day in and day out, you'll just regret it! There are soooo many different things that you could be doing than trying to get revenge on Ikuto! And Ikuto! We know you've had it hard too, but you just have to learn from your experiences and make the best of it! Everyone has a past, but it depends on what you want to become because of that experience! You should all just forget about this crap and find happiness! Isn't that what life is about? Forgetting the sad and painful times and moving on with your life?!"

I was practically panting from my sudden lecture. But I wasn't just talking about them. I guess I said those things more to myself, than anyone else. I should move on as well.

It was silent for a while, everyone seemingly contemplating what I just said.

"I guess we should forget the past." Ikuto said slowly, Tadase nodding his agreement.

"Yes. You're right. I'm sorry for my actions. Can we start fresh?" Tadase held out his hand, and Ikuto took it.

"Of course. I'm sorry for not understanding your emotions." Ikuto said, shaking his hand.

Thank god they made up. And now they're friends again!

"Thank you, Amu. For showing me what I was missing from my life." Tadase said, giving me his princely smile. Although this time, it looked genuine.

I smiled back.

"No problem, Tadase." A light tint of pink appeared on his cheeks, as he turned away. Was he blushing?

"Oh yeah, Ikuto," I said, turning to face him.

"Hmmmmm?"

"Why did you kiss me so suddenly?!" I shouted, pointing a finger at his chest. He smirked.

"It was the perfect way to find out if you still loved me or not. I figured if you kissed back, it means you do, if you didn't it means you don't. And either way, I don't lose anything from it." He said, giving me his signature smirk.

"Mou, Ikuto! You pervert! Pervert, pervert pervert!" I yelled, hitting his arm repetitively. He just laughed at my reaction.

"So... are you still dating Ikuto, Amu? Or are you still broken up?" Utau questioned. I stopped hitting Ikuto, and stared at her. Huh? Now that I think about it, I'm not so sure. We broke up 'cause of Tadase, but then Ikuto and Tadase are on good terms again. And I only agreed to go out with him 'cause I wanted that to happen. So what's our relationship now?

"Ummmm..."

"Um, may I say something?" Tadase said.

"Sure." Utau shrugged.

"Currently, you're single right now, right?"

"Y-yeah." Where is this going?

"Well, I guess I'll make the first move." Tadase boldly walked up to me and stopped a foot away from me. My face turned red at the closeness, as he leaned in, and kissed me.

He wrapped his arm around me as he kissed me slowly, but passionately. _What is this?!_

"What are you doing?!" I heard Ikuto shout.

Tadase pulled away and looked me straight in the eye.

"I love you Amu-chan. For real."

Huh?

Before I could react, I was pulled into Ikuto's chest by his muscular arms.

"She's mine." He growled venomously.

"Let's ask her that. Amu, who do you love? Ikuto? Or me?" Tadase asked, looking straight at me.

_I love you, but I also love him_

_But both of your love for me,_

_is filled to the brim_

_The question is, _

_who do I love more?_

**AN: Done! Yes, it was a fast update. I just had the motivation to do it. I actually wrote this all out pretty quickly, and decided it was best to end it here. (Probably cuz I have some writer's block on how to continue. xD) Anyway, did you like it? Hate it? Read and Review? **


	9. Decision

**AN: I don't own any of the songs mentioned in this chapter.**

_Recap:_

_He wrapped his arm around me as he kissed me slowly, but passionately. What is this?!_

_"What are you doing?!" I heard Ikuto shout._

_Tadase pulled away and looked me straight in the eye._

_"I love you Amu-chan. For real."_

_Huh?_

_Before I could react, I was pulled into Ikuto's chest by his muscular arms._

_"She's mine." He growled venomously._

_"Let's ask her that. Amu, who do you love? Ikuto? Or me?" Tadase asked, looking straight at me._

**~Love~**

_I shout, scream, and cry _

_all for you_

_So don't take it for __granted _

_And say you love me too_

_Amu_

Crap. Who do I love? I looked over at Ikuto, who was staring back at me in anticipation. He looked as if he was sure I would say that I loved him.

Then I looked over at Tadase. He also looked confident that I love him. Ugh! I'm pretty sure I love Ikuto. But... despite all that Tadase has done, he's still caring and has a soft side to him. But doesn't Ikuto have one as well? Oh my god, I hate making important decisions.

"Why do you even bother asking that question? You know she loves me, more than she loves you." Ikuto scoffed, but I could tell he wasn't all that sure.

"Oh, I don't think so. Even though I have deceived her, I believe she still loves me more than she loves you."

"Why you-!"

"Yo, Tsukiyomi! What're you doing here?"

We all turned around to find a cheery Kukai, running down towards us dressed in a green t-shirt, and black shorts kicking a soccer ball that landed right at Ikuto's feet.

"Kukai! I haven't seen you in years!" I ran up to him, and tackled him in a hug. He laughed as we fell to the floor, but somehow he ended up on top of me.

"Hahahahaahaha! Nice to see you too, Hinamori!" He exclaimed, ruffling my hair, and making it all messed up. We were both lying down in the grass right next to each other at the moment, smiling at each other.

"Mou Kukai! You messed up my hair!" I grimaced, as I attempted to fix it.

"Oh Amu, it was messed up when you tackled me!" Kukai said, giving me that goofy grin of his again. God I love his smile. He always manages to make everything better no matter what the situation is. Speaking of which... Ikuto and Tadase both seem to be giving Kukai death glares. If looks could kill, he would be dead a hundred times over.

"Can you get off of my girlfriend?" Ikuto spat.

Now that you mention it, Kukai was pretty close to me. Our faces were like, an inch away from each other. And realizing that, I began to blush as red as a tomato.

"If you didn't notice, she's not going to be your 'girlfriend' for long." Tadase put in, making air quotes around the word girlfriend.

"You tryin' to pick a fight, Kiddy King?" Ikuto smirked evilly, knowing that he could easily beat Tadase if a fight were to occur.

"Sorry Tsukiyomi, didn't realize that Amu was your girlfriend." Kukai stood up, brushed himself off of dirt and grass, then held out his hand. Gladly, I took it, and brushed myself off as well.

"We're just friends, Ikuto, Tadase. Don't worry." I bet they were relieved out of their minds with one less rival, but of course, they didn't show it.

"Well, how're we going to settle this?" Tadase asked.

"Settle what?" Kukai asked, clueless.

"Apparently, they're both fighting for Amu's love." Utau chimed.

"Then shouldn't you let Hinamori choose?" Kukai said, stating the obvious.

"We-"

"I'm going to get some food, I'm starving. Be right back!" And before they could say anything else, I ran away from Ikuto, Tadase, Kukai, and Utau shouting my name. I just ran as far as I could, well, until I couldn't run any further. Once I was gasping for air, I started walking, and realized that I was in town. Might as well get some food. It wasn't a total lie. I headed over to a taiyaki stand, and bought a chocolate one for myself.

After buying one, I pulled out my ipod, plugged in the earphones, and pressed play as I munched on the yummy treat in my hands. Who should I choose though? It's kind of like an impossible choice, but it's an important one. I don't want to take too long in my decision, or else I'll make a mistake. However,if I make a hasty decision, I might end up regretting it, and then I won't be able to go back on it. I was always told that important decisions were never easy.

But honestly, I never expected this. I walked around town aimlessly, having no need to head to a particular destination. I mean, where would I even go? I'm not going back to that park till I'm ready. And besides, if all I'm going to hear is screaming and yelling at two seemingly good 'friends' isn't necessarily the best place to go think out an important decision.

I walked past a mother and I'm guessing, her daughter at a balloon seller's stand.

"Which color do you want? Blue? Or Yellow?" Her mom asked her.

"Hmmmmm..." She pondered with a finger to her chin.

"I don't know! It's so hard to choose!" She stomped her foot on the ground in frustration.

"Can I have both?"

"I'm sorry honey, but you have to choose one."

Gee, that sounds a lot like my situation right now. I'm glad I never thought of having both of them, or else they would've been _really_ furious with me.

I bent down to the girl's height, and spoke to her, my arms wrapped around my knees that were up against my chest.

"Just choose with your heart. Decisions like this are nothing like the ones you will face in the future. Think about what you truly want, and then go with your choice with confidence!" I told the little girl.

She looked up at me, seeming to have comprehended half of what I said. Well, what can you expect from a five year old girl?

"Okay, Onee-chan! Arigato!"

I just smiled sweetly at her, before standing back up, and heading out on my way.

"I choose that one!"

I wonder which one she chose. Blue, or yellow?

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you_

_Been here all along so why can't you see?_

_You belong with me, you belong with me_

Ugh, thanks for rubbing it in if I choose Tadase. I checked my phone for the time, finding that it was 4:00pm. Wow. I was out for quite a while. I should probably head back, even though I have no idea on what I'm going to say the them. But instead of heading back, I found a nearby bench, and decided to sit down and rest for a minute.

_I need your love_

_I need your time_

_When everything's wrong_

_You make it right_

_I feel so high_

_I come alive_

_I need to be free with you tonight_

_I need your love_

Music sure knows what songs to play at exactly the right times in your life. But even with all this help, I still don't know who to choose. I don't want to make the person I didn't choose sad. But think. Who's been there for you? Tadase. Who cares for you? Tadase. Who saved you? Tadase.

Who do you love the most? ... T-Tadase.

I know my answer now. I abruptly stood up, and headed towards the park, hoping that those two would still be there, bickering. And sure enough, they were.

"What do you know about Amu?! Nothing!"

"Nothing?! I know more than you think!"

"Sure, sure. I totally believe a gay Kiddy King." Ikuto said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I just stood there, watching them and listening.

"For the last time, I'm not gay!"

"Ehem." I said, quietly.

"Welcome back Hinamori!" Kukai shouted, as he walked up to me and threw his arm around my shoulder.

"Get off of her!" Tadase and Ikuto shouted simultaneously. Kukai and I quickly stepped away from each other, as if we were boyfriend and girlfriend and just got yelled at by my parents. Haha, they do sound like a married couple don't they?

"Yes, now that Amu is back, you two idiots can stop yelling now. It's been giving me a headache." Utau intercepted, rubbing her temples with her right hand as she was sitting on a bench in the shade of a giant pine tree, with huge glasses on her face as she licked her vanilla ice cream cone.

"When did you get an ice cream cone?" I inquired, curious.

"It's over there." Utau pointed, and sure enough, there was a guy with an ice cream cart, selling ice cream to little kids' mothers to give to their children playing on the playgrounds nearby.

"Ohhh, now I want some. Let's see, do I have enough cash?"

I got out my wallet, and began to look for some kind of money, that was't pennies. I feel like I _only _get pennies as my change.

"Amu, stop avoiding our question."

"Yeah, who do you love? Me, or Kiddy King?"

"Now that's just a biased question." Tadase retorted.

"Would you rather be called gay?"

"I would rather you call me by my name!"

Geez. So much yelling. No wonder Utau got a headache. I've only been back for like, two minutes, while Utau has been here for like, what, several hours?

"How do you stand them yelling so much?" I asked her.

"Hmm?" She pulled out her ear buds, and looked at me.

"You say something?" I sweat dropped. No wonder.

"Never mind..."

"Anyway, did you decide yet?"

"... I think so."

"Good. Because you always run away from your problems."

My eyes widened in surprise.

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do. You don't realize it, but you do. You can't make important decisions, so you end up making an excuse to get away from them. Am I right or not?" Utau tilted her head, looking at me with her piercing violet orbs over the top of her sunglasses.

"Y-Yes-"

"And isn't it also true that you running away will get you no where?"

"Y-Yes-"

"So why don't you man up and face your problems head on? Yes, I know you're not a man, but you've got to face your problems, not run away from them." She pushed her sunglasses higher up the bridge of her nose, and leaned back on the bench.

Utau is right. And believe it or not, I'm ready to face this problem head on like she said.

"Thanks Utau. But I already know my decision."

"Ikuto, Tadase." I called their names, wanting their attention.

"Yeah?"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to be completely honest. I really like both of you. But I know I can only love one of you truly. And I have figured out who. It was a hard decision, but I know this is the right decision. If I don't choose you, I'm sorry I really am."

I paused, waiting to see if my words sunk in. Also adds some nice suspense, don't you think?

"I love-"

"BANG!"

But before I could finish my sentence, I felt an enormous pain in my back, as I fell to the ground. I heard my name being called, as I was drifting into unconsciousness, but couldn't see who was calling my name. However, I knew I had to finish my statement, even if it killed me.

"... I-Ikuto."

And after using my last reservoir of strength, I gave in to the darkness that soon consumed me.

_I said it. I said it just for you_

_I would have said it, even if it was my last, dying breath._

_Because I know, that even if_

_my mind says that someone else is better_

_My heart knows who I truly love. _

**AN: I love suspense xD. I know it kills some of you, (not literally of course) but I find it so awesome for stories. Well, what did you think? Did you prefer Amu with Tadase or Ikuto? Or even Kukai? Personally, I like Amu with Ikuto, or Kukai, but NOT with Tadase. But I write this for the people who read this. Anyway, I'm sorry if I rushed Amu's decision. I tried to make her take time in thinking about this, but it's kinda hard to drag out a topic for like half a chapter and still make it interesting. I'm still an amateur at writing, but hey, I tried. :P So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Review :D?**


	10. Tadase's Crime

**AN: Sorry for such a late update! I wrote like the middle of this chapter like 3/4 times cuz I kept on forgetting to save, and accidentally going to a new page this one time... So, I was like "I give up!" But then I got a review saying how I didn't update in a long time, and that made me feel really guilty, so here I am again! It wasn't that long was it? Gomen, I also had a lot of schoolwork (got a midterm coming up) but that's just a sorry excuse for my laziness. xD Anyway, enjoy!**

_Recap:_

_I paused, waiting to see if my words sunk in. Also adds some nice suspense, don't you think?_

_"I love-"_

_"BANG!"_

_But before I could finish my sentence, I felt an enormous pain in my back, as I fell to the ground. I heard my name being called, as I was drifting into unconsciousness, but couldn't see who was calling my name. However, I knew I had to finish my statement, even if it killed me._

_"... I-Ikuto."_

_And after using my last reservoir of strength, I gave in to the darkness that soon consumed me._

**~Love~**

_Nothing, nothing, nothing, _

_can tear us apart _

_Even in death, you'll always be_

_the one I love for eternity_

_Tadase_

"AMU!" Ikuto and I screamed simultaneously.

She was about to tell us which one of us she loved, but then I heard something that sounded like a gunshot, and then she began to fall to the ground until she was caught just in time by Ikuto. He held her in his arms, shouting her name as tears threatened to overflow, but he kept his composure.

"...I-Ikuto."

What? She loves Ikuto? I fell to the ground with the palms of my hands flat on the ground, as well as my knees, crestfallen, angry, hopeless, and other indescribable feelings ran through my head. I thought she loved me! She must be lying! Yes, that's it! She only said it 'cause Ikuto was the one who was holding her.

But now's not the time for this. Amu was just shot by a gun! I need to call the paramedics.

"Amu, hang in there! Please, don't leave me again!" Ikuto shouted in despair, and this time, the tears did come out. Even though it wasn't much, just a few streaks down his face, it meant a lot. I never thought I would see the day that my former enemy, Tsukiyomi Ikuto, would cry.

I pulled out my phone, while still on the ground, and began to dial 911.

"Huh! She deserves that! After all the pain I had to go through, that IS NOTHING!"

I looked up from the ground, my fists clenched, as I found a fuming Saaya standing above us, with a gun still raised. She was dressed in the orange jumpsuit that prisoners would wear.

Damn. I didn't dial all the numbers yet. Now Saaya could see me, and then shoot me.

"Saaya? What did you just do?!"

"What did I just _do_?! I killed the one who is in love with my Ikuto, and the one that actually stole _you_ away!" Saaya shouted at me, pointing the gun at me. I pressed call discreetly so they would hear what was going on. I then put my hands up calmly.

"Saaya, put the gun down."

"NO! You deserve this too! You turned me in to the police!"

Now that got Ikuto's attention. He stood up, wiped the back of his hand across his eyes, and looked at us.

"What did she do that made you turn her in to the police? Isn't she your accomplice?" Ikuto glared.

"You told him?!"

"No! He knew a long time ago that I was stealing all his girlfriends! He just didn't know it was with you." Now that I think about it, what I did to Ikuto was terrible. I looked away in guilt and shame.

"And I turned you in because I found out you were stealing clothes from the mall. And because I think this has gotten too far. I was going to turn myself in too." I laughed uneasily.

"Why would you turn yourself in?"

"Because he killed my parents!"

There was an awkward silence in the air as Ikuto learned of the crime I committed.

"Why would you do that?! And here I thought you actually changed!" Ikuto gave me such a cold glare, I stepped back a little, in shock. He began to walk away, back to Amu.

"It was when I was eight. I didn't know what I was doing or who they really were at the time." I whispered, my bangs covering my eyes.

Ikuto turned back, and looked at me, waiting for me to continue.

"I was walking to the bank one day, because my dad asked me to meet him there. Well, I walked inside, and found my father just finishing his deposit, so once he finished we started to head home. We were halfway to the door, when suddenly a group of robbers entered the bank holding guns and demanding that everyone get down on the floor and not to move." I took a deep breath. I haven't told anyone about this.

"Well, Saaya's parents were on the floor next to me. Of course, I didn't know who they were at the time. Well, I discreetly pulled out my phone, and called the police. He didn't notice me talking quietly on the phone, surprisingly." I chuckled softly to myself.

"Anyway, after I got off the phone, I put it back into my pocket. But my hand slipped, and the phone clattered to the floor."

_Flashback (gotta love those flashbacks xD)_

_"Crap." I whispered to myself as I tried to hide the phone._

_The tall, burly man, towered over to me, a cigarette sticking out of the corner of his mouth._

_"N-nothing!" I said, a little too quickly. I moved my body over my phone, but it was no use. He shoved me away, making me fall a few feet away from my father, landing with a thud on the polished marble floors._

_"Ahhh? A cell phone?" He picked it up, with the hand that wasn't holding a gun, and began to check the calls I made._

_"Yo, Kaoru, Taka. This kid just recently called the police. We better get outta here." He took his cigarette out of his mouth and spit on the ground._

_"What?! Who did it?!"_

_The man pointed his forefinger at me, and all eyes were on me now._

_Most of the looks turned my way were ones of relief and gratefulness, while others showed horror, dread, and hatred._

_The man I believe to be Taka, towered over to me, and grabbed me by the front of my shirt, lifting me up, my feet dangling in the air._

_"You're gonna wish, you never done that." He growled, venomously._

_"Let go of me!" I struggled in his grasp._

_"Oh? You want me to let go of you huh?" He snickered, then threw me across the room. I landed on the marble floors with a loud thud, since my head hit the nearby counter top. My head felt a little weird, so I put my hand up, only to bring it to my face and see that it was covered in my blood. The room suddenly blurred, as I saw two of the burglar come at me again._

_"I'm so sorry, little boy."_

_"Tadase-kun!" My father yelled, but it seemed like it was a mile away._

_"Oh, this your kid?" He said, pointing a finger at me. He then rolled up his sleeves, as if preparing for work. Then, he reached his hand into his right hand pocket, and pulled out a knife._

_"Well, let me discipline him for you!" I closed my eyes, and braced for the blow._

_There was a slashing sound, and the sound of metal piercing skin. But not my skin. I opened my eyes in confusion to see a man over me, blocking the blow. His arms held Taka's arms but the arm that's above my head had a deep cut on it. The blood immediately began to ooze out of the wound, and I felt a drop land on my cheek._

_"Are you okay?" He asked me, as he struggled with Taka._

_They began to wrestle each other, the knife dropping to the ground harmlessly. They rolled around and around, each one of them trying to get the advantage of the other. Seems like after I was saved, the rest of the people in the bank began to take action. There were some people cheering their comrades on as they faced the burglars in a fight. Some were still as far away as possible from the thieves, obviously because of their fear of being killed._

_Suddenly, sirens were loud and clear in the air. Everyone stopped abruptly, a range of emotions from fear to relief on the people's faces._

_"Cm'on! We gotta get outta here!" The robbers took advantage of the situation by grabbing their bags of money, and hightailing away for the back door._

_"You're not going anywhere!" The previous man that saved me, tackled Taka to the floor, ceasing his escape to freedom._

_"You!"_

_"Taka! We don't have time for this! Stop all this silliness and finish him already!"_

_"Fine! I didn't want to do this but... you asked for it." Taka kicked him off of himself, launching my savior several feet away. In his daze, Taka pointed his pistol at him._

_"This is the end."_

_"NO!"_

_*BANG!*_

_Everyone opened their eyes, to find a woman lying on to of the man who saved me, covered in blood._

_"Misa!" He shouted._

_The robbers began to run again, only to be stopped by the police who finally entered the bank._

_"Nobody move!" They shouted. They ran into the room, carrying their rifles and wearing their protective body armor._

_Time seemed to have stood still for a whole five seconds. Then everything went crazy and chaotic._

_"Officer! Save that lady! She's been shot!"_

_"They've kept us hostage here!"_

_"Shut up or I'll shoot you too!" Taka shouted._

_"Help us! My little girl is scared!"_

_While everyone was screaming and shouting their problems and worries, the robbers made plans of their own._

_"You know what, we're never going to get out of here at this rate."_

_"Well, take a hostage and just start running."_

_"Good idea."_

_Taka grabbed a random lady, and put her in a hostage position. (AN: I don't know how to describe it. It's kinda like what you see in movies xD)_

_"Nobody move! If you make any attempt to stop us I'll kill her!"_

_They started moving towards the door, the police shouting their pleas to let her go, as well as her family and friends. All three of the thieves got to the door and it seemed as if they were going to release her. But, then Taka pointed his gun at me._

_"You stupid kid! You caused all of this! Go rot in hell!"_

_"NO! Tadase-kun!"_

_*BANG!*_

_And again, after not feeling any pain, I opened my eyes, only to find the one who saved me earlier, taking the bullet for me. My eyes widened in horror as he fell backwards, and landed heavily on the ground._

_"Mister!" I ran to his side._

_"Yamabuki... Takada... My name is... Yamabuki... Takada..." He coughed out. The bullet hit him in the chest, maybe even his heart._

_"Why... why did you save me?" I got out, choking back tears._

_"Whether you believe it or not... you saved everyone here. I admired your bravery. It helped me understand things better than before."_

_The police shot down the robbers since they have caused so much damage, but I didn't care about that right now._

_"You... shouldn't have done that." I said, tears streaming down my face._

_"Hey... men don't cry. Now, follow your own path. And can I ask you a favor?"_

_I just nodded wordlessly, trying to hold in my tears._

_"Take care of my daughter, Yamabuki Saaya for me, will you?"_

_"Okay."_

_"Arigato." He gave me a faint smile, then closed his eyes, and stopped breathing._

_End Flashback_

_Ikuto_

I stared at Tadase the entire time he was telling his story. Never knew he went through so much.

"Heh. I'm one messed up person huh? Got two people killed when I was just _eight_. How many people, now that I'm twenty-one?." He laughed harshly.

"No more, since I'll finish you off myself!" Saaya yelled, pointing the gun at him.

"Just live with it!" I shouted, trying to put some sanity into those thick skulls of theirs.

"If you're a real man, you'll stand strong for your loved ones and live with the sins you committed. What else can you do?" I stated.

"Shut up! If you've committed a crime, you get retribution for it! And no one is going to get in my way!" Saaya pointed the gun at me, and pulled the trigger.

*BANG*!

_Did you change?_

_Did my words make any impact on you at all?_

_Probably not, _

_but at the price of providing you with advice_

_I lose my life_

**AN: I'm so mean aren't I? Ending it there xD I was thinking about continuing, but I had to update, and I find it funny making suspense. Anyway, Read and Review please! If I'm not updating fast enough, tell me ^^ See you next time~**


	11. Together

**AN: I'm so so so so so sorry for the late update! T_T I had writer's block, and soooooooooo much school work since summer school is coming to an end. I was planning on updating next week or so after school ended, but I felt really bad so I decided to update it now! Anyway, enjoy for now but you MUST read the AN at the end of the chapter!**

_Recap:_

_"If you're a real man, you'll stand strong for your loved ones and live with the sins you committed. What else can you do?" I stated._

_"Shut up! If you've committed a crime, you get retribution for it! And no one is going to get in my way!" Saaya pointed the gun at me, and pulled the trigger._

_*BANG*!_

**~Love~**

_The danger is over_**  
**

_No more need to be_

_worrying, fearing, and _

_dreading the future_

_because we'll get through it_

_together~_

_Amu_

Beep! Beep! Beep! Huh? What's that sound? It sounds like one of those heart monitors that I see in dramas and animes... Wait... what?! I opened my eyes in a flash and quickly sat up, only to painfully regret my actions. My abdomen began to throb painfully from that sudden movement, and I realized I was in the hospital. The walls were a nice cream color and I was on a white hospital bed, with a matching hospital gown to go with it.

What happened? All I remember was talking to Tadase and Ikuto, and was about to tell them which one of them I loved. Then... I was shot...

I shivered in pain and trepidation at that memory. I moved the covers off of me, and inspected my abdomen. They were all patched up with clean white bandages that went horizontally around my body. My door suddenly squeaked open, and in walked Utau. Her eyes locked on mine, and her hands dropped the bag, of (I assume are) groceries and ran to my side.

"AMU!" She yelled as she glomped me in a hug.

"O-Oi, Utau, you're suffocating me." I lightly laughed.

She pulled back, and inspected me closely, worry clearly evident on her face.

"Are you okay? Does that hurt?" She pointed at my wound.

"Yeah, but I'm fine. What happened?"

"Well..."

"Hey, Utau! She awake yet?" Kukai called, waltzing into the room as if he owned the place.

"Hinamori! I knew a simple bullet like that couldn't knock you down!" He said exuberantly, ruffling my hair.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to mes up my hair?!" I pouted. Kukai just laughed at me.

"Ahh, I see that the young lady has awakened." In walked the doctor. Man, it seems like everyone was just following Utau or something.

"So, how do you feel?"

"Fine. A little sore, but fine. Where's Ikuto?" I inquired.

"Someone call my name?" Ikuto called, appearing in the doorway, his right hand holding onto the top of the door frame, while the rest of his body lazily rested on the left side of the doorway. (Too confusing? Sorry.)

"Ikuto!" I jumped out of my bed and ran to him, surprising him with a hug.

He hugged me back, and we just stood there while in each other's embrace. I didn't care what anyone was thinking, I just inhaled in Ikuto's scent like the scent pervert I was. He tilted my head back gently, making me look into his azure irises and then he kissed me. It was a sweet and passionate kiss, and I began to kiss him back, that is, until Kukai indiscreetly coughed. Ikuto broke the kiss and glared at him, and if looks could kill, he'd be dead several times over. I just giggled, but stopped abruptly from the sharp stabbing pain coming from my abdomen.

"Are you okay, Amu?" Ikuto looked at me, eyes wide with concern.

"Uh yeah, just feeling a lot of pain. Can you help me back to the bed?" He picked me up bridal style and carried me back to my bed as I blushed.

"I c-could've w-walked you know." I blushed as he set me down.

"I can't possibly let my little strawberry walk as long as I'm here." He smirked at me, making me blush ten shades redder as I suddenly found that the hospital gown I was wearing very interesting.

"Ehem, there's a doctor here." Kukai stated, waving his hand in front of my and Ikuto's faces.

"Oh right, sorry doc, go right ahead."

And the doctor asked me some questions, took some blood, and blah blah blah, boring doctor stuff. After she was finished, she told me I could leave tomorrow, but I would have to spend the night to rest and heal up. She bid us goodbye and went to take care of some of her other patients.

"So what happened?" Kukai, Utau, and Ikuto all glanced at each other, none of them wanting to say it themselves.

"Well.."

"Hey, look at the time! I gotta go to this place." Kukai shouted, walking swiftly towards the door. Utau didn't even have to look at him before her hand snaked out and held onto the collar of his shirt in an iron grip.

"You're not going anywhere."

"Hehehehhe, did I mention you were coming with me?" Her eyes blinked in surprise.

"Oh, look you're right! It is time to go to that place! See you two love birds later!" And they rushed out of the door before I could say another word, leaving me alone with Ikuto.

"Are you willing to tell me what happened?" I tilted my head to the side, waiting for Ikuto's reply.

"It's a long story." Ikuto sighed, sitting down on my bed. I waved my arms, gesturing around me.

"It's not like I can leave."

"Well basically..."

_Timeskip~ (Haven't done these in a while~)_

"So Tadase got himself shot?!" I shouted.

"Yeah. They're not sure if he's going to make it or not."

We were silent for a while.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?"

"Well yeah. The past has just been cleared up, and our relationship as friends just began anew until that stupid Saaya girl messed everything up." Ikuto growled.

"Speaking of which, what happened to her?"

"She got arrested and charged with 15 years in prison. Not enough time of you ask me." He scoffed.

"Don't be mean Ikuto." I tsked.

He suddenly pushed me back so I landed on the bed on my back as he moved to be on top of me, our faces inches away from each other's.

"I don't think she deserved any kindness from me for shooting my girlfriend." His breath was hot on my face as his hair tickled my cheek. He was so close.

"S-sorry."

"Don't be. I'm sorry if I acted differently these last few days. You're my everything. I would do anything, and everything for you. Don't forget that." He whispered, his hands on either sides of my head.

"Thanks Ikuto. I love you." He closed the distance between us and kissed me. He deepened the kiss as I moved my fingers through his silky blue hair, his hands finding their way around my waist. After a while, I pulled away for air.

"I love you too, Amu-koi." And then we kissed again.

_No matter what life throws_ _at us,_

_we'll get back up every single time._

_And we'll do it together._

**_~End~_**

**AN: YAYYYY! I finished this story! I actually hadn't intended to finish it here, but then I thought, why not? It was a good place to end it, and if I've known sooner, I would've told you readers in previous AN notes, but apparently, I just thought of it, and knew that I had run out of ideas for this story xD. I actually didn't know how long this story was going to be, or when it would end either xD. I'm sorry if this ending or story seems rushed. It's the result of a first timer at fanfic xD. I hope to improve my writing by writing more stories though! Anyway, thanks for reading everyone! I really appreciated it! Also, a big thank you to those of you who reviewed for this story!**

**I was sooooo happy for each and every review, and decided to keep on going with this story, despite everything that has happened. You guys are the best, and hopefully you'll read my future stories (if I decide to make more Amuto stories xD). And those of you who are reading No Matter What I'll Save You, I'm actually not sure if I should continue that story or not. I have some chapters that I could update, but they're crappy, and blah blah blah.**

**It's most likely going to get deleted, since I have no idea what to write, and all that annoying stuff that comes with writing stories. So, what do you think? Do you want that story to continue? **

**Well, whatever you decide, I'm still going to end _Love_ here. Thanks again for all the readers, reviewers, and silent readers! One last time? Read and Review?**

**See you all soon! (Hopefully ^^) **


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